The University and College Union did NOT decide to boycott Israeli academics. The relevant passage of the resolution recommends much more moderate actions (see below). It would have been better for UCU to table any talk of academic boycott and concentrate on ending the Quartet boycott of the Hamas-led national unity government, pushing Tel Aviv to return withheld tax revenues to it, etc., but the Financial Times coverage of UCU paints an inaccurate picture.
<http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/html/ucu14.html> Section four: International and European Work
After paragraph 44, insert new heading, International greylisting and boycott policy
In1 Policy on international greylisting and boycott (Transitional arrangements committee)
Congress endorses the policy on international greylisting and boycott in UCU/16.
In2 Academic Freedom (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Recognising the unique importance of Academic Freedom to colleges and universities, Congress determines that:
1) any motion passed at this, or a future congress, that restricts academic freedom in any way, that motion will be put to a ballot of all members with a brief statement of arguments for and against before becoming, if supported, UCU policy;
2) any motion passed at this, or a future congress, that calls for an academic boycott of one or more colleges or universities outside of the UK, when such a boycott has not been requested by properly constituted and quorate branches of academic unions at those colleges or universities, that motion will be put to a ballot of all members with a brief statement of arguments for and against before becoming, if supported, UCU policy.
Paragraph 45, Middle East
In3 Composite: Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions (University of Brighton, Grand Parade; University of East London, Docklands)
Congress notes that Israel's 40-year occupation has seriously damaged the fabric of Palestinian society through annexation, illegal settlement, collective punishment and restriction of movement.
Congress deplores the denial of educational rights for Palestinians by invasions, closures, checkpoints, curfews, and shootings and arrests of teachers, lecturers and students.
Congress condemns the complicity of Israeli academia in the occupation, which has provoked a call from Palestinian trade unions for a comprehensive and consistent international boycott of all Israeli academic institutions.
Congress believes that in these circumstances passivity or neutrality is unacceptable and criticism of Israel cannot be construed as anti-semitic.
Congress instructs the NEC to
· circulate the full text of the Palestinian boycott call to all branches/LAs for information and discussion;
· encourage members to consider the moral implications of existing and proposed links with Israeli academic institutions;
· organise a UK-wide campus tour for Palestinian academic/educational trade unionists;
· issue guidance to members on appropriate forms of action.
In4 European Union and Israel (University of Birmingham)
Congress notes:
1. That since the Palestinian elections in January 2006 the Israeli government has suspended revenue payments to the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the EU and US have suspended aid, leaving public-sector salaries unpaid and earning the condemnation of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions;
2. That Israel is seeking to upgrade its relations with the EU to the same level as Norway and Switzerland, permitting free passage of goods, people and capital, while denying these freedoms to Palestinians.
Congress resolves to campaign for:
1. The restoration of all international aid to the PA and all revenues rightfully belonging to it; 2. No upgrade of Israel's EU status until it ends the occupation of Palestinian land and fully complies with EU Human Rights law.
In5 Solidarity with Iraqi workers and women (Lewisham ACE)
1. Conference welcomes and supports the new independent unions and women's organisations that have emerged since the fall of Saddam's brutal regime. These groups are central to any prospect of a democratic, secular Iraq.
2. The various so-called resistance forces have regularly killed trade union, women's and LGBT activists. The 'resistance' groups – various types of Ba'athist-fascist and Islamist organisation – are unremittingly hostile to the new labour movement.
3. The Occupation forces/the Iraqi gvt. pursue anti-working-class policies. For example, they have retained Saddam's anti-union laws; the oil industry has been privatised; the US and Iraqi government have harassed the trade union movement (for example, the General Federation of Iraqi Workers offices were raided twice in February 2007).
4. We support the TUC's Iraq Unions appeal and instruct the UCU's national officers to facilitate active solidarity between British education workers and UCU branches, and our Iraqi counterparts.
In6 Composite: Stop the War (Barnsley College, University of Portsmouth, City and Islington College/Camden Road, Tower Hamlets College)
Annual Congress notes:
1. that millions, possibly billions, of pounds that could fund education are spent daily by Blair's government on bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; as well as their plan to spend at least £50 million on the Trident replacement programme
2. that an estimated 655,000 Iraqis, 3,000 US and 130 UK troops have died since 2003, as well as millions injured or driven into exile;
3. The lack of democracy by Parliament in response to these atrocities and the Middle East crisis.
4. The 100,000 strong Stop the War Coalition demonstration in February.
5. that Bush and Blair's unpopularity, and the partial withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, attests to the strength of the anti-war movement;
6. that such a movement remains essential because of the disastrous failure in Iraq, the rise in Islamophobia, the fact that the US is escalating its troops in Iraq and is also threatening to launch a war against Iran.
Congress congratulates both former constituent unions of UCU for their support and affiliation to the Stop The War Coalition.
Congress resolves:
1 to reaffiliate to the Stop The War Coalition;
2 to encourage branches and Las to organise teach-ins on the war on terror in cooperation with students and other campus unions.
<http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2595> UCU response to boycott vote
30 May 2007
Delegates at the inaugural UCU congress voted this afternoon in favour of a motion calling for 'the full text of the Palestinian boycott call to all branches for information and discussion'. The delegates earlier overwhelmingly (just one vote against) voted to accept the recommendations of a report from a body set up in the fallout of the 2005 decision by AUT to impose an academic boycott of Israel.
That interim report accepted by the union this afternoon says: 'The commission believes, after careful consideration, and noting that we are not capable of policing the academic world in a pro-active way, that triggers for actions leading to greylisting and boycott can only result from a request from a legitimate organisation within the state, or within the occupied territory or institution in question. Legitimate organisations would include a trade union movement, a recognised higher education union or other representative organisation. Exceptionally, a decision to impose greylisting or boycotting might be taken following consultation with Education International in circumstances where legitimate organisations cannot be lawfully established within the state or institutions in question, or in circumstances where institutions or branches of institutions, are established in territories under unlawful occupation as defined by UN resolutions.
'It is recognised that this is a difficult area. We are aware of great wrongs being committed throughout the world against colleagues in other countries. But there is always a balance to be drawn between boycotting and damaging those colleagues in the hope that the state will address the harm that it is inflicting on academia, and the harm that the boycott itself inflicts on academia.'
Responding to the votes this afternoon, UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'As I have made clear in the past, and as I reiterated on the floor of congress this morning, I do not believe a boycott is supported by the majority of UCU members, nor do I believe that members see it is a priority for the union.
'Today's motion on boycott means all branches now have a responsibility to consult all of their members on the issue and I believe that every member should have the opportunity to have their say. The earlier motion means that any future calls for a boycott must pass key tests before a boycott can implemented.'
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Dan Ashley
Tel:020 7670 9705
Mobile: 07789 518 992
Fax:020 7670 9799 -- Yoshie