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| Volume 52 Number 21, September 17, 2022 | ARCHIVE | HOME | JBCENTRE | SUBSCRIBE |
On January 21, 2023, the Stop the War Coalition is organising a Trade Union Conference, The World at War: A Trade Union Issue [1]. They announced it this year so as to address workers everywhere as well as the trade union conference season of 2022. Stop the War was also to hold public meetings at the TUC Congress, before that was postponed following the Queen's death [2], and other trade union conferences. In announcing the conference they point out: "We are living in a more and more dangerous world. The war in Ukraine is a disaster for the people there and effectively pits two nuclear armed great powers against each other. It could escalate at any time and is already causing economic chaos. Meanwhile, the US is ramping up the pressure on China, with full support from the British government and other NATO allies."
"We have called this conference because we believe that it is always working people who are the first victims of war and that the record sums being spent on arms and the military should be redirected to public services, to the NHS, social care and our crumbling schools. We believe that the slogan 'cut warfare not welfare' should be taken up by the whole of the trade union movement."
"The conference is open to all trade unionists. We urge you to register but also to spread the word in your branches and trades councils."
Also, in July the following resolution "Peace Is Union Business" was passed at RMT's Annual General Meeting in Birmingham. Stop the War encouraged all trade union branches across the country to adopt this resolution, or that of their own [3]. We also urge all trade unionists to register and spread the word about our first ever Trade Union Conference coming up in January 2023. They conclude: "Every effort should be made to pursue peaceful relations between countries through negotiations and disarmament."
PEACE IS UNION BUSINESS
"That this AGM notes with grave concern the NATO summit meeting in Madrid (28-30 June 2022) confirmed an escalation of military spending, troop build-ups and further expansion of this nuclear-armed bloc with a seemingly endless supply of money poured into weapons development and procurement including:
expanding the numbers of NATO troops from 40,000 to well over 300,000;
expanding NATO's role at the request of the Spanish government to include the global south, including control over migration from sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel region (north Africa) following the tragic deaths last week of 23 African migrants entering Melilla, Spain's colonial enclave in north Africa;
US President Biden's announcement that the US would establish a permanent
military base in Poland, a brigade in Romania, air missile systems in Italy and Germany and two additional F-35 squadrons based in the UK;
British PM, Johnson's announcement on 30 June 2022, that UK defence spending will increase from 2.3% of GDP in 2022 to 2.5% of GDP in 2030 when wages are being held below inflation with taxes and energy prices rocketing contributing to a cost-of- living crisis.
These latest announcements of military escalation follow the announcement in September 2021 by the governments of Australia, the UK and US of the so-called AUKUS pact, which provides nuclear-powered submarines to Australia as part of a military alliance with the US and UK.
RMT's sister union, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has warned these submarines use highly enriched uranium ideal for nuclear weapons. The Australian government has repeatedly tried to set up nuclear waste dumps on First Nations land. This will intensify that pressure. The AUKUS pact also contributes significantly to the likelihood of nuclear proliferation and the threat of nuclear war.
Workers have no interest in war with China, Russia, or any other country. Every effort should be made to pursue peaceful relations between countries through negotiations and disarmament.
RMT stands in solidarity with trade unionists and workers in all countries opposing war and wasteful, environmentally harmful, military spending. We pledge our opposition to development of nuclear submarines in Australia, to NATO expansion and to Boris Johnson's [now Liz Truss's] disastrous pledge to further increase military spending by the UK government instead of addressing growing poverty, homelessness and hunger in Britain."
24 Aug 2022 by RMT
Notes
1. The World at War: A Trade Union Issue - Stop the War TU Conference 2023
https://www.stopwar.org.uk/events/the-world-at-war-a-trade-union-issue-stop-the-war-tu-conference-2023/
2. TUC Congress 2022 Stop the War Fringe Meeting: The World at War - A Trade
Union Issue Tuesday 13 September - 5.00pm , Brighton
Postponed until further notice.
3.Stop the War's draft resolution on Ukraine
https://www.stopwar.org.uk/article/no-war-on-ukraine-trade-union-resolution