Mandate Trade Union has written to all major retail employers in Ireland asking them to desist from “trading, investment or other commercial links with companies operating in, providing services to, or sourcing goods from [the illegal] settlements” in the region of Israel.
Mandate, the largest union for retail workers in Ireland, has contacted 20 companies including Tesco, Musgrave Group, Dunnes Stores, BWG Foods, Aldi and Lidl, asking management to discuss the current conflict in Gaza and to attempt to positively impact on the dispute through their purchasing policies.
Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary said, “Irish people are appalled by scenes permeating daily from Gaza. We are asking retail employers to take whatever steps they can to positively impact on the current conflict in order to protect lives and prevent further alleged human rights abuses.”
The letter reads: “Adopting such a course of action will without doubt greatly help the most vulnerable caught up in the conflict but also assist your many customers and staff who on an increasing basis are faced with a dilemma of conscience in dealing with products which they see as tainted by association.”
Mandate explained that since the conflict began a large number of their members have received complaints from the public in relation to the stocking of Israeli goods in their stores. Light said, “The calls from the public to boycott Israeli goods is intensifying and we believe it is unfair that ordinary retail workers, who have no say in the sourcing of products, are confronted with these complaints.”
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson
