Mandate Trade Union calls on retailers to cease sourcing goods from occupied territories in Israel

Friday 25 July 2014

Union calls on members to support rally for Gaza tomorrow

Mandate Trade Union has today (Friday, 25th July) 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, said it had written to more than 20 companies asking management to discuss the current conflict in Gaza where more than 600 people have been killed – including more than 150 children – 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.

In the letter, Mr. Light said, “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.

Mr 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.”

“We believe major retail employers can protect their workers from these complaints and can assist their customers in their attempts to avoid purchasing products deemed associated with the conflict in Gaza,” he said.

Mandate has called on their members and the general public to support tomorrow’s “Stop Israel’s slaughter in Gaza – end the siege” rally. The rally begins at 2pm at the Spire on O’Connell Street in Dublin.

The union is calling on all trade union members to attend and to voice their opposition to the unnecessary loss of civilian lives in Gaza.

Retail employers Mandate have written to include:

Marks & Spencer

Shaws

Tesco Ireland

Musgrave Operating Partners Irealnd ltd (SUPER VALU)

Dunnes Stores

Penneys

Heatons

Debenhams Retail (Ireland) Ltd

Boots Retail (Ireland Ltd/Alliance Boots

Brown Thomas

Arnotts

Musgrave Group

Arcadia Group Ltd

Aldi

Lidl

TK Maxx

BWG Foods

Smyths Toys

Londis Group

PC World

Lloyds Pharmacy