The announcement of a temporary ceasefire in Gaza is welcome news to many Palestinians and allies. Among the organizations calling for peace have been some of Canada’s largest trade unions. While a temporary pause provides some relief to those suffering, some are saying it does not go far enough.
“The humanitarian pause is welcome, and is surely the result of the incredible global solidarity we’ve seen demanding a ceasefire. But we can’t accept that in a few days we’ll see so many innocent lives being lost all over again,” Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) National President Mark Hancock said in an email statement to rabble.ca
On October 10, the CUPE released a statement calling on the Canadian government to push for a ceasefire and the enforcement of international law.
“What we want for ourselves, we want for everyone else – as trade unionists we believe everyone deserves to live in safety, dignity, and peace,” Hancock said.
Hancock’s words are similar to the sentiment spread via social media posts by Palestinian organizations like the Palestinian Youth Movement and the People’s Forum. These organizations said that a pause is just a pause, it does not signify the end of civilian suffering.
The Palestinian Youth Movement, the People’s Forum and other organizations are calling the global community to continue the struggle for a permanent ceasefire
And the struggle has continued. The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), representing more than a million workers, recently passed a resolution at their convention in Toronto this week that calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the blockade of Gaza. According to photos obtained by rabble, the resolution also shows that the OFL will condemn the killing of innocent Palestinians, the October 7 attack by Hamas and all breaches of humanitarian law and international law.
CUPE and the OFL are not the only organizations who are pushing for an end to the violence.
On November 9, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) released a statement declaring their support for a humanitarian ceasefire that would allow medical professionals to tend to the wounded. CFNU represents almost a quarter of a million nurses across Canada. When asked about whether the planned humanitarian truce in Gaza goes far enough, CFNU declined further comment.
A few days before the CFNU’s statement, Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, shared their support for a ceasefire as well. Representing more than 300,000 workers, Unifor called for a “durable and sustained” humanitarian truce. When asked whether the planned four-day truce goes far enough, Unifor declined to provide further comment.
“Seventy-five years of conflict has proven we aren’t going to come to an enduring peace in the region through rocket attacks and airstrikes that target and overwhelmingly impact innocent civilians,” CUPE President Mark Hancock said. “The solution must be based on recognition and respect for human rights and international law. A permanent ceasefire is the most important precondition for any true resolution to this conflict.”
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