'No British exports will be allowed'
Photo: GPO
Maman employees threaten counter-boycott of UK
Israeli cargo company responds to British union's call to boycott Israel, by threatening to stop unloading UK goods arriving in country
The Maman Israeli cargo company threatened to launch a counter-boycott of British firms, in response to a decision by UK union UNISON to consider renewing a boycott of Israel.
On Thursday, the British trade union for people delivering pubic service UNISON, which represents 1.6 million employees, decided to renew and increase the boycott it imposed on Israel in the years 2002-2006. The organization is mulling to cut off investments of British pension funds in Israeli companies, and initiating a consumers' boycott of Israeli merchandise.
Chairman of Maman's workers union Dudu Himmelfarb told Ynet that the company's workers union decided that "if the British union decides to go ahead with the boycott, we will stop unloading cargo from British Airways aircrafts and imports from Britain.
"We will upload goods headed for Britain, so as not to hurt the Israeli industry, but no British commodities will enter Israel."
Histadrut (labor federation) Chairman Ofer Eini was outraged by the UK union's decision, and sent harsh protest letters to UNISON's general-secretary, Dave Prentis, and the secretary-general of the International Trade Union Confederation, Guy Ryder, calling on them to immediately withdraw the boycott call.
Chairman of the Israel-Britain Chamber of Commerce Len Judes expressed regret and disappointment over the decision, and said that the boycott does not represent the British government's policy.
