Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine launches TULIP Solidarity Fund
London, UK - At the inaugural Executive meeting of Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (TULIP) on Monday 12th October 2009, the three trade union leaders decided to launch a TULIP Solidarity Fund. The fund will work to practically support Israeli and Palestinian trade unions undertaking projects of mutual interest that foster peace and hope in the region.
Chairing the Inaugural meeting of the TULIP Executive, Paul Howes, National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, said:
"The opportunity to provide practical support to working people in Israel and Palestine should not be missed. We aim to support projects developed by Israeli and Palestinian trade unions to bring progress to a region in need of more action rather than words."
Michael J. Leahy OBE, General Secretary of the UK Union, Community - the Union for Life, that hosted the meeting in the UK, said:
"The real work of unions is not boycotts that would hurt Palestinian workers but bring people together and make the situation on the ground better for workers in Israel and Palestine. I hope we have started our part of this today."
Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in the US and Canada, said:
"The TULIP Solidarity Fund will speak for itself as we take small but real steps to make the situation on the ground better for working Israelis and Palestinians."
TULIP will formally launch the Solidarity Fund later in the year and hope to have a project agreed in the early months of 2010 if not before.