Zarfaty workers stand firm. Morale boosted by 7000 emails from unionists across globe

Palestinian workers in the West Bank settlement Mishor Edomim have voted to continue their struggle to end the harassment of independent workers union workplace reps and to stand firm against union-busting.The 35 Zarfaty Garage workers, at a meeting called yesterday (Monday, August 4) by the independent union WAC MAAN, committed themselves to the ongoing struggle to achieve decent working conditions and the right to have their union voice respected by their boss in the Occupied Territories settlement of Mishor Adumim. Independent trade union WAC MAAN national director, Assaf Adiv, reported to the workers about the global support campaign which has sent 7000 protest emails – via LabourStart.

“It has been a powerful response of trade unionists from all over the world who sent the LabourStart protest emails to the Israeli Justice Ministry, Labour Relations Department and to the bosses of the Garage. “The fact that in 3 days about 7000 people have sent emails was a sign of the strong support the Palestinian workers in Zarfaty have from around the globe. That has been a huge morale booster for these workers whose rights are normally marginalized in this society,” Assaf Adiv of the Israeli union said today.

Adiv reported to workers about the ongoing legal effort to end the arbitrary dismissal of the chair of the WAC MAAN workers committee Mr. Hatem Abu Ziedeh. The legal effort is being led by a prominent Israeli human rights lawyer Smadar Ben Natan. To maintain the pressure for negotiations with Zarfaty Garage the workers elected a new member to their organising workplace committee to demonstrate their commitment and as a show of confidence in the union.

“We are ready to take up the challenge from the bosses who planned to create terror and fear among the Palestinian workers, during the Gaza crisis, by the false accusation and dismissal of our workplace leader Hatem Abu Ziadeh,” Assaf Adiv said.

The independent Israeli union WAC MAAN is asking global supporters of the struggle to contribute to a special fund to cover legal costs of this important and unprecedented struggle to unionize Palestinian workers in the Settlements in the Occupied Territories.

Click and send whatever you can afford – we need to raise US$10,000.

Click here to send a protest mail if you have not yet joined the LabourStart email protest.

Click to go to the WAC MAAN campaign page where you can also find there links to further information on the case.

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