Regarding the Companies Benefitting from Operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The British Columbia Union Workers Union (BCUWU) calls on the British Columbia Investment Corporation (BCI) – which manages the pension funds of its membership as well as thousands of public sector workers – to immediately and fully divest from all companies profiting from genocide, occupation, apartheid and human rights violations in Palestine.
Furthermore, BCUWU calls on the leadership of the many unions whose members’ pensions are managed by BCI to join our call and mobilize their respective memberships to demand that BCI divest all investments in such portfolios. Information regarding which companies this includes can be found in the attached research report.
BCUWU membership passed a series of resolutions at the December 12, 2024, AGM calling for divestment of its pension investments from companies currently profiting from the war, occupation, apartheid and human rights violations in Palestine.
Working people in all parts of the world are united in common cause and the shared struggle for peace, freedom and justice. It is inexcusable that workers’ capital be used to create profits from illegal occupation, genocide, apartheid, or the sale of weapons of death.
Union pension funds held by investment managers belong to the workers whose hard-won wages create and maintain them. As such, these institutions must be accountable to workers and their unions.
BCUWU members can contact bcuwupswg@gmail.com to get involved or for more information.
Background: At the December 12, 2024 AGM, UWU members, who hold ultimate decision-making power, endorsed a motion that (i) called for the BCI to divest itself of all holdings in companies and entities that profit from or enable the abuse of human rights in Palestine; (ii) that called for BCUWU to take a leading role in convening union representatives whose members’ pensions are also invested by BCI to share information and discuss divestment; and (iii) that directed the Palestine Solidarity Working Group to submit a work plan and budget request to the Executive to accomplish the above goals.
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