Sam Macartney

Delegates welcomed the new democratic movements across the Arab world but condemned the double standards of many Western Governments in their response to the widespread oppression which still continues in many countries.

The STUC will campaign for a consistent, non-military approach to supporting democratic movements across the Arab world and encouraged affiliates to make links with and give financial support to the Egyptian Federation on Independent Trade Unions.

Sam Macartney, Chair of UNISON Scotland’s International Committee fully supported an approach which tackled foreign intervention, and especially military intervention in countries seeking to pursue democratic solutions and agendas but stressed the importance of condemning the actions of so-called democratic countries, such as Syria, who continue to subject their peoples to acts of state sponsored terror.

Slamming Syria’s “corrupt regime who at this moment continues to subject its peoples to violence and terror on a daily basis, blatantly ignoring the UN agreement and Human Rights observers,” Sam called for the STUC to condemn these actions, to support the six point proposals put forward by Kofi Annan and the UN and Arab League, and to use every means at our disposal to help broker a lasting peace for the Syrian people.