March 23 2026

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) strongly condemns the ongoing illegal attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran and the widening conflict in the region.

We know civilians pay the highest cost of these imperial cycles of violence.

The unprovoked aggression launched by the United States and Israel earlier this month and Iran’s retaliatory strikes in the region have already led to a devastating number of civilian deaths. This includes the appalling missile attack by the United States that hit a girls’ primary school in Iran. A humanitarian crisis is growing in Lebanon due to the Israel-Hezbollah hostilities and Israel’s forced displacement of people in large swaths of the country. Hundreds of Lebanese people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, including health care workers, and one million are displaced.

As NUPGE said in an earlier statement, foreign intervention in Iran is not the answer. History shows the United States’ brazen military operations do not bring about peace or security. Too often it leads directly to loss of life, instability, and humanitarian crises. The future of Iran is for the people of Iran to decide, not the United States or Israel.

NUPGE calls for an immediate ceasefire, de-escalation, international recognition of sovereignty, and return to peace talks.

We also echo the global labour movement’s calls for full respect of freedom of expression, freedom of association, and democratic rights across the region.

NUPGE expresses solidarity with the public service workers in the region. As our global union federation Public Services International stressed, the workers who are providing emergency response and maintaining health care, education, water and other vital services and infrastructure face immense risk amid the violence.

NUPGE is extremely disappointed by the Canadian government’s inadequate  response on the conflict that reaffirms the same old world order, most notably Prime Minister Carney’s support of the US attacks on Iran. We urge the Canadian government to speak out firmly against the violence and violations of international law. NUPGE also remains concerned about Canada’s export of military equipment to Israel and the United States and reiterates the call for an arms embargo. Canada must not be complicit in attacks on civilians or forever wars. Pressure from the Trump administration must not be an excuse for Canada to support the United States’ military action.