In early March, The Herald reported that Coca-Cola will no longer be served at the Glasgow Film Theatre after objections from staff.

This group of staff, who are all members of the Unite union, an organisation whose raison d’être is to support its workers, coerced the cinema to announce it would not be selling Coca-Cola during the Film Festival, as by refusing to abide by the staff’s demand, the Festival itself could be cancelled, leading to serious loss of revenue to the GFT.

It’s one thing for trade unions to advocate for better pay and working conditions.

It’s quite another for them to pressure UK charities – organisations established to serve communities regardless of creed, race or politics – into adopting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

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This kind of action has become a worrying trend, with UK charities coming under pressure from hardline elements within trade unions that are trying to coerce independent charities into adopting divisive political positions that are both inappropriate and dangerous.

This kind of action by militant trade union figures that attempt to strong-arm charities into aligning with an international political campaign is as divisive as it is misguided.

This is not solidarity – it’s ideological bullying.

And charities must have the backbone to say no.

The BDS movement claims to be a peaceful form of resistance to Israeli policy.

In practice, it has become a campaign that demonises the world’s only Jewish state, encourages cultural and academic boycotts, and often spills into........

© Herald Scotland