Free Palestine Melbourne’s recent forum, How the labour movement can stand with Palestine, held on 14 August 2025, was attended by over 170 unionists and supporters, and another 1000 watching online.

The meeting voted unanimously to support the union contingent at the upcoming nationwide March For Palestine on 24 August and to call for sanctions on Israel.

Below is the text of the resolution passed by the meeting.

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Resolution: Victorian Labour Movement Stands in Solidarity with Palestine
14 August 2025

This meeting of Victorian trade unionists stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine as they face the ongoing crimes of military occupation, siege and genocide.

Israel’s war against Gaza must end now. It a murderous assault on the lives of Palestinian and an assault on the values and wellbeing of all humanity.

We oppose Israeli apartheid and Israel’s colonial-settler occupation.

As trade unionists we know that an injury to one is an injury to all and our movement has a long history of opposing apartheid. Our movement for justice for Palestine is driven by human compassion, ethics and the necessity for working class solidarity.

The Australian Government has called for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the free passage of aid and essential supplies to Gaza. However, it has so far failed to back these calls with actions that would apply real pressure on Israel to cease its war crimes.

We endorse the demands on the Australian Government made by the Australian Council of Trade Unions in May 2025 which include:

• Using all pressure, influence and diplomatic measures, including targeted sanctions
• Supporting the deployment of a humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza
• Ending all military trade (including parts and components) with Israel
• Supporting international efforts to prosecute breaches of international law
• Establishing emergency humanitarian visa pathways

We note that similar demands were overwhelmingly supported by the 600 branch and union delegates at the recent Victorian State ALP Conference. This meeting applauds the network of dockworker unionists across Europe and the Mediterranean who have successfully imposed bans and strikes against the arms trade with Israel.

We offer our solidarity to all unionists in Victoria working toward imposing industrial bans on the production or trade in goods that aid or assist Israel in the commission of unlawful acts.

This meeting wholeheartedly supports an active campaign by the Victorian trade union movement to inform and mobilise working people to achieve the ACTU demands for action by the Australian Government. To that end, we call on:

• All unionists to support the call by Victorian Trades Hall Council for unions and workers to mobilise in numbers and march as a contingent at the 24 August National March for Palestine.
• Victorian Trades Hall Council and affiliates to support further strategic actions such as combined union delegates meetings and work-day mobilisations of union members.
• All union members and our elected representatives to co-operate to build and extend the movement in our own unions, workplaces and communities to end Israel’s war and achieve justice for Palestine.
• All unions and unionists to vigorously defend members facing repression for their advocacy for a free Palestine.

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