OSLO, May 9, 2025, WAFA – The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the country’s largest labor federation, has voted in favor of a comprehensive boycott of Israel, including a ban on trade and investment with Israeli companies.
The decision was passed with an overwhelming 88% majority during LO’s national congress, held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on May 8–9.
Secretary-General of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), Shaher Saad, welcomed the decision during his participation in the conference. He noted that many countries invest workers’ social security funds in Israel, calling for an end to the use of funds from the Norwegian Oil Fund to support the Israeli occupation and settlements.
Saad also underscored the dire humanitarian and political situation facing the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, emphasizing the systematic and ongoing Israeli aggression over the past 17 months.
He also highlighted the severe challenges facing Palestinian workers, noting that unemployment has surged to 56% of the labor force, equivalent to around 507,000 individuals. This has resulted in an estimated loss of €400 million per month, totaling approximately €7 billion over the past 17 months, all in the absence of a functioning social protection system.
Saad further highlighted the ongoing harassment and violence faced by Palestinian workers, which has led to the killing of over 33 workers and the detention of more than 11,000 others by Israeli forces.
He pointed out that successive Israeli occupation governments have a clear policy of employing only 25% of the Palestinian labor force, holding responsibility for their unemployment. Additionally, Saad noted that the general secretaries of international trade unions who visited Palestine documented the harsh conditions of Palestinian workers and filed a case with the International Labour Organization (ILO), invoking Article 24 of the ILO Constitution and Convention No. 95 to seek the restoration of their rights.
He stressed that the occupation’s policies aim to systematically dismantle every component of the Palestinian economy, controlling its savings and resources by all available means.
He concluded by urging the conference members to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and workers, calling for an end to the ongoing genocide and displacement attempts, which, he asserted, will ultimately fail due to the unwavering resilience of the Palestinian people on their land.
T.R.
