Palestine: ITUC protests over reported Israeli Army break-in at trade union offices

Acting on a report from its Palestinian affiliate the PGFTU, the ITUC has expressed its grave concerns over a break-in by members of the Israeli Defence Force at the PGFTU’s Ramallah offices (...)


Brussels, 6 July 2007 : Acting on a report from its Palestinian affiliate the PGFTU, the ITUC has expressed its grave concerns over a break-in by members of the Israeli Defence Force at the PGFTU’s Ramallah offices early in the morning of 4 July. In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder called on the Israeli authorities to conduct a full investigation into the soldiers’ actions, to compensate the PGFTU for damage done to the premises, and to return any information or documents taken from the offices.

“The ITUC attaches the highest importance to the inviolability of trade union premises, and deplores any intervention into the legitimate activities of a trade union organisation”, said Ryder. “The PGFTU must be allowed to carry out its legitimate work on behalf of Palestinian workers in full freedom and in the absence of any such interference in the future,” he added.


Founded on 1 November 2006, the ITUC represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 304 national affiliates.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018.