Government's failure to call for immediate ceasefire provokes angry union response

The government's failure to demand an immediate ceasefire during the recent conflict in Lebanon angered the trade union movement.

Many unions responded by supporting protests organised by the Stop the War Coalition, putting forward protest resolutions and ensuring the protection of international transport workers affected by the hostilities.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of public service union UNISON, wrote to Labour MPs in July, stating that the failure to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah put at risk the moral authority of the Labour government both at home and abroad. And the UCU lecturers' union has circulated details of Stop the War Coalition events over the summer and a protest planned to coincide with the start of the Labour Party conference.

In an emergency motion at the International Transport Workers' Federation Congress, the RMT rail union condemned Israel's attack on Lebanon and the failure of the US and British governments to demand an immediate ceasefire.

Following a request by ship officers' union NUMAST, the Chamber of Shipping declared a Warlike Operations Area for the sea area off the coast of Lebanon subject to blockade by Israeli forces.

And NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear wrote to the Israeli embassy in support of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which had condemned the Israeli bombing of the Hezbollah-linked Lebanese broadcaster Al-Manar.