Belgian union pressures Israeli counterpart over Gaza

BRUSSELS, Jan 09, 2009 (AFP) - Belgian trade unionists on Friday threatened to isolate their Israeli counterparts if they did not speak out against the Israeli action in the Gaza Strip, where more than 760 have been killed.

Belgium's socialist trade union confederation the FGTB issued the ultimatum to its Israeli counterpart, the Histadrut.

"Colleagues, leaders of the Histadrut, call for peace without conditions, before losing all credit and all dignity," said the statement.

"If not, we will call on our representatives to exclude you from union bodies such as the International Trade Union Confederation."

The statement noted that they had previously criticised the Histadrut for its unconditional support of Israeli policies towards Palestinians.

It said that the Palestinian union federation, the PGFTU, had already condemned the firing of rockets at Israel.

The FGTB represents 360,000 workers in Belgium; the Histadrut represents 450,000 Israeli workers: they and the PGFTU are members of the Brussels-based International Trade Union Confederation.