SINCE the launch of operation al-Aqsa Storm, and the responsive genocide carried out by Israel, we have seen large and expansive demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Hundreds of thousands of workers regularly turned out in Britain, even in the face of growing state violence against Palestine solidarity activists and campaigners — Palestine Action’s proscription has not stopped thousands of people from showing their support, with demonstrations and arrests happening almost each week.

Fundraising has been conducted across the entirety of Britain.

Bucket-shakers outside of sporting events are a regular sight. Events at social clubs and pubs continue to be run, some even by trade union branches.

Street stalls, organised by various solidarity groups, stand strong even against the growing rise of far-right forces. Scotland has seen great work from Unite Hospitality workers in pressuring the Glasgow Film Theatre to remove Coca-Cola from its bar as part of the wider BDS movement.

While campaigners welcome the decision, their open letter pushes for broader boycott commitments, including the removal of Barclays adverts and the endorsement of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

On the international front, we have now seen two flotilla missions carried out by a wide range of campaigners. The most recent mission nearly reaching the shores of Gaza and breaking Israel’s illegal naval blockade. Scotland’s own Margaret Pacetta, Yvonne Ridley, Jim Hickey, and Sid Khan were part of the most recent flotilla mission.
Yet the cry remains on the “left” — “why can’t we do what workers in Italy and Greece are doing?”

In Greece, five major unions representing port workers issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli assault on Gaza and pledging to take no part in the transport of military equipment destined for Israel.

In Italy, large crowds took to the streets of multiple cities amid a growing wave of protests throughout Europe in response to Israel’s interception of the latest flotilla mission, and illegal kidnapping of activists.

Over 500,000 protesters, led by trade unionists and Palestine activists came out over 29 locations — with 100,000 blocking both the A14 motorway and the city’s ring road before police attacked with tear gas.

In Scotland we haven’t seen industrial action like this — especially in sectors where it would be crucial and impact the Israeli war machine (BAE Systems, Thales, Elbit Systems, etc). However, there have been demonstrations outside these workplaces — led by anti-war activists and Palestine campaigners.

The various leaderships of the unions representing workers within such sectors are more than happy to praise the striking efforts of those abroad yet do nothing to aid their own branches in organising in solidarity with Palestine and the wider peace movement.

In fact, there are those in these unions who have expressed to peace organisations and Palestine solidarity networks that their union is not a safe space to speak about Palestine and anti-war-related industrial action.

So, if our own unions are not a “safe space” to organise in then how can we expect to achieve what our comrades abroad have done?

These unions are often quick to shut down grassroots organising within them also, making organising the shop floor even more difficult. As someone who was kicked out of a congress and suspended, I know this too well.

If we want to see unions in Scotland taking bold action, then we must aid lay members and member-focused branch secretaries in building their branch and strengthening their workplaces. To build a strong branch (after carrying out the basics of union organising) affiliations to trades councils, peace networks, the Morning Star etc, would be vital.

Using these affiliations to interact with branch members would show them the wider world of the labour movement and showcasing that they are not alone and not confined to their union’s bureaucracy.

Class-focused education has to be drilled into our members — through as many formats as possible, capturing young and old members alike. Neoliberal identity politics has run rabid throughout the so called “left” and it has placed workers in isolation, and it’s in this isolation that right-wing populists and fascists have sought to seize our communities.

With a class-educated workforce, we won’t just have shop stewards who think about the tactics and consequence of workplace action, it will be a union membership that engages with its branch fully and takes part in the planning and implementation of industrial action — not just sit back and wait to be told when they are allowed to conduct action.

Now we have a proletariat across Britain seemingly content with the concessions that have been granted to us. Instead of fighting against the ideals of the ruling class, our trade union movement has regressed into simple insurance for its members.

If we don’t act to re-radicalise our trade union movement, then we risk it falling into irrelevance. To win socialism in this country depends on rebuilding an organised class. This class must stand united, confident, willing and prepared to fight the ruling class and establish a new order. The first step in accomplishing this begins in our union movement.

Building it to encourage and support our members to take bold industrial action that shapes the future of their workplaces, industries, and the wider nation, while also being capable of aiding our fellow workers abroad.

Starting with clearing out the careerists, class traitors and concession salesmen!