Boycott of Hewlett-Packard (HP) in solidarity with the people of Palestine
Model motion for trade union branches
from Brighton & Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- This branch affirms its support for the Palestinian struggle for peace, justice and self-determination. The branch stands with the people of Palestine, and with their supporters around the world, in their opposition to occupation and apartheid. (The branch is formally affiliated to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.)
- The branch affirms its positive response to the 2005 Call by Palestinian civil society (including scores of Palestinian trade unions) for an international campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against the Israeli regime. These non-violent punitive measures should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law.
- The branch recognises that BDS campaigners in Palestine and around the world place priority on the boycott of Hewlett-Packard (HP). Hewlett-Packard is a US multinational information technology corporation. HP not only profits from developing systems to racially profile Palestinians, and to track and control their movements, but is also complicit in the Israeli apartheid system which limits the parts of the West Bank that Palestinians are able to access. HP is also contracted to provide the Israeli navy’s IT infrastructure. The company is therefore an important target in the global BDS campaign.
- The boycott of HP will continue until HP stops profiting from the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and the violation of Palestinians’ human rights. Many Palestinian trade unions have specifically called on the international labour movement to boycott HP.
- A crucial element of the boycott of HP is the pledge by civil society groups and organisations to not purchase HP products or services, as far as this is feasible. This element of the boycott is supported by numerous groups and organisations around the world, including trade unions, faith groups, student groups and educational institutions.
- This branch hereby commits itself to supporting the boycott of Hewlett-Packard, as an expression of its solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination, by adopting the following practical measures:
- The branch will not purchase HP products or services, as far as this is feasible, and will cancel and/or not renew any contracts for goods or services that involve direct or indirect payments to HP, as far as this is feasible.
- The branch will inform any third-party suppliers of IT goods or services of its position of boycott of HP.
- The branch will call on the regional and national union organisation to support the HP Boycott.
- The branch will consider calling on employers to end all purchases of HP goods and services as outlined above.
- The branch will encourage its members to join the boycott of HP as individual consumers – including signing the Stop HP Pledge[1] and Petition[2].
- The branch will inform HP of its decision to boycott the company until it ceases its complicity in the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and the violation of Palestinians’ human rights.
[1] Stop HP Pledge: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/hp-pledge/
[2] Stop HP Petition: http://org.salsalabs.com/o/703/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11604