ITF welcomes latest blow to Veolia over West Bank involvement

At its last two congresses, in 2010 and 2014, the ITF passed resolutions on Palestine.

In 2010 congress specifically condemned multinational transport companies providing transport services to the settlements built in the occupied West Bank since June 1967, and called on them to stop.

The ITF also supports its affiliates in fighting moves by Veolia to drive down labour standards.

In Denver, the latest development in the Communications Workers of America dispute with Veolia subsidiary SuperShuttle is that on 30 September, having tried unsuccessfully to reach a settlement with the company, the National Labor Relations Board issued its complaint against SuperShuttle and trial is scheduled to begin on 13 January 2015.

In June, Veolia finally agreed to a deal which ended a 16-day rail workers’ strike in Sweden over its attempt to sack 250 members of the SEKO union and rehire them on precarious contracts with worse pay and conditions.

ITF Arab World regional secretary Bilal Malkawi commented: “International opposition to their operations in the occupied Palestinian territories is clearly affecting the profits of companies like Veolia.

We urge them to cease these operations and concentrate instead on building their transportation businesses elsewhere, in co-operation with our affiliated unions and with full regard to international labour standards.

Until they do, the ITF and the international union family will keep them sharply under the spotlight.”

In the UK, Sweden, Ireland and the US, Veolia had already lost or had to pull out of tenders worth approximately US $24 billion (approximately £14.8 billion).

It recently announced that it was selling its water, waste, and energy businesses in Israel, but it remains involved in two projects serving illegal settlements, the Jerusalem Light Rail and the Tovlan landfill.

In March 2011, Veolia Transport merged with Transdev to form the VeoliaTransdev Group.