- Conference
- 2025 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 13 June 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Retired Members Conference shares the widespread horror at Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and the intensification of settler violence on the West Bank, effectively backed by the Israeli state, which continues to establish more settlements in violation of international law.
Conference welcomes the comprehensive policy UNISON has developed on Palestine.
Conference shares the hope that a permanent ceasefire will have come into effect before our October Conference, but the intransigence of the Netanyahu government, whilst it retains the support of key western governments, means this is far from certain.
It is of particular concern to retired members that our Pension Funds may continue to hold investments in companies that are either; complicit in providing weapons and military technology to the Israeli military used in violations of international law; or are providing finance to business enterprises which are on the United Nations list of involved those involved with the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. According to the most recent analysis conducted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, more than 80 funds that come under the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) had potentially complicit investments worth a combined total of more than £12 billion last year.
Conference applauds the work UNISON continues to do on BDS, especially in relation to the LGPS, and the progress made in several branches and regions towards divestment from relevant shareholdings.
Conference recognises that as part of their fiduciary duty LGPS pension funds must take due notice of the legitimate concerns of fund members as stakeholders, including those in receipt of a pension from the funds, and that our Trade Unions are the best placed democratic organisations to represent and express the views of those stakeholders.
Conference calls upon the National Retired Members Committee to continue to work with the NEC to promote UNISON’s policies on BDS among the union’s retired members and to encourage and assist retired members to actively support BDS campaigns.