People's Democracy

ILO On Iraq, Israel and Palestine

A SPECIAL session was held in the ILO Conference on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories. The DG submitted a separate report on the basis of the reports collected by a high level mission sent by ILO last year to study the situation of workers in the areas occupied by the Israeli settlers, affecting the Palestinian and Arab workers and the whole of Palestinian economy, besides heightening the tension in the entire region.  The DG’s Report mentioned about serious deterioration in the situation affecting the Palestinians the most.

The session witnessed serious deliberations on the matter, and overwhelming majority of the speakers denounced the Israeli government and its staunch supporter the USA. They called for stepping up the initiative for a political solution through getting Israel to vacate the occupied territories and forthwith stoppage of terrorist actions of the Israeli Army.  Many speakers while welcoming the ILO’s assistance for technical cooperation for development of Palestinian economy and institutions in the occupied territories, stressed that the solution lies in heightening simultaneous political initiative by the world community to bring to an end the occupation of Arab territories.

H Mahadevan (AITUC) spoke in the special session on behalf of Indian Workers’ delegation, while the government and the employers’ delegates from India did not take part in these deliberations.

END OCCUPATION OF IRAQ

The entire workers group in the ILO has also passed a unanimous resolution on the situation in Iraq and demanded an end to foreign occupation of Iraq and reconstruction of the country under UN supervision. In the tripartite plenary session, delegates from many countries, particularly from the workers side demanded forthright position to be taken by the ILO to denounce US aggression on Iraq and insist for immediate end of US occupation there.