April 4 this year was the 75th anniversary of the establishment of NATO. Marking this date the Foreign Ministers of the 32 NATO [1] members gathered in Brussels for a meeting. A NATO statement claimed that the alliance "has ensured peace, democracy and prosperity for its members...and one billion people on both sides of the Atlantic". In a Statement on April 4, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also claimed on the anniversary that "75 years later, NATO has become the most successful alliance the world has ever known - and it continues to grow in size and strength... for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security". King Charles III also weighed in with a statement that day saying that "its core task endures: to protect the one billion citizens of our NATO Allies. This vital Alliance continues to thrive and adapt in the face of new threats and challenges."

Demonstration in Finland - Photo: Yorkshire CND

But what is the truth? Is NATO united, "growing in size and strength" and has it "ensured peace, democracy and prosperity for its members"? For a start, whose "peace, democracy and prosperity" does NATO and its leading nations stand for? There are 8 billion people in 195 countries identified by the UN not 1 billion and the 32 countries that NATO claims to defend. In other words, the overwhelming majority of the world's people and their countries are not represented in such a military alliance. NATO is outside the United Nations and the realm of international law administered by the UN and its meetings. Such an alliance acts as a military bloc of western countries led by the US, Britain and other western powers. NATO is also a political and military regime that operates across and outside of borders of the countries it represents. It usurps the decisions of sovereignty for citizens of not only member countries but also non-member countries, operating in Asia, Africa and across the world. Plainly speaking, NATO holds a gruesome record of war, violence, and colonialism without even consent of the peoples it claims to represent.

The fact that such alliances are not fit for the modern world can be seen without looking further than its role in present conflicts, let alone the conflicts and wars that NATO has been responsible for since WWII. Since last year NATO has made no statements condemning the criminal occupation of Palestine by Israel (neither are NATO members) which has led to the ethnic cleansing and mass murder of the people of Gaza and the West Bank by Israel. When questioned about the hypocrisy that NATO only interferes between Russia and Ukraine (also neither are NATO members) the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, claimed that "Ukraine and Gaza are very different" but could not explain either the interference in Ukraine, or the disregard for the fate of Palestine and its people. Not one word has been uttered by NATO in support of the people of Palestine nor does NATO condemn its member states, particularly the US, Britain and other powers, who are arming Israel to the teeth for this slaughter. This should surely be a vital question for a military alliance that claims to "defend" people and claims to have kept the "peace" in the world. Not only that, but this is being done even though most of the NATO countries in the alliance formally oppose this vile slaughter of the people Palestine by Israel and are calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Also, it should be noted at the same time on this anniversary NATO is continuing to hold its "Steadfast Defender 2024" war games, currently taking place until May 31, featuring some 90,000 troops, from all 32 member states in Europe. On April 9, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that the following exercise of the Lithuanian-German partnership is setting up the Panzerbrigade 45 which is set to include 4,800 soldiers when it becomes fully operational in 2027 alongside already large military bases of the US and British forces in Eastern European countries on the borders of Russia and Belarus. These Anglo-US NATO exercises which have continued every year, especially since the fall of the Soviet Union, have been part of this expansion of NATO across Eastern Europe and the Balkans with the justification that there was allegedly confrontation with Russia and establishing military bases up to its borders.

Today, the peoples of the world desire peace, not wars following World War II. They desire an end to all the wars since then of the US imperialists and their allies in Asia, the Middle East and Africa for which the people have built powerful anti-war movements to oppose these wars over decades. For the people to further this objective for peace, it is necessary to speak out against the US/NATO expansion eastwards, which Russia has for many years been warning is unacceptable to the security of the Russian Federation and Russian peoples living in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. They demand friendly and not hostile relations. Russia engaged in negotiations for this end, such as with the UN-backed Minsk agreements. These diplomatic efforts and agreements were deliberately ignored by the Anglo-US-led NATO powers who instead did everything to provoke war between Russia and Ukraine.

Now NATO countries are behind funding and arming and sustaining Ukraine's war as a proxy NATO war against Russia, which Ukraine itself cannot sustain. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and others still claim it is crucial for the "West" to continue to support Ukraine in its war for "freedom and democracy" and "our values" against Russia "as long as it takes". No evidence, or course, is presented by any of the accusers to back these claims. Stoltenberg just rants that the only hope that the US/NATO forces have is to create the conditions for the war to go on for years, and they try and ensure that anyone working for a peaceful solution has no say in the matter. In other words, preparation for war and escalation of war once it starts is the raison d'être of NATO and the powers that lead it, not de-escalation and peace for all parties involved. This is a powerful reason why NATO should be condemned by the world's people and dismantled.

At the same time, the contradictions within NATO are also destroying it. According to reports at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3 and 4, the NATO countries are now pre-occupied not just with Russia and China but also with the internal political struggle in America. In their eyes the main casualty of this civil war in the US has so far been military aid to Kiev and the likelihood of Donald Trump's entering the White House. This is forcing Western European states to panic and consider the unthinkable. Will the United States abandon NATO altogether and shift its priorities? Of course, what is clear is that the US, even under Biden, is trying to shift the costs of NATO onto its European allies. Costs which are causing upsurges in protests of workers and farmers in Europe in opposing the diverting of the economy to war are affecting the livelihood of the people. Because of this, Britain's Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has been hysterically lecturing the public and European countries to increase the military spending by declaring pedantic contortions of phrase-mongering that we are no longer in a "post war" period but are now in a "pre-war" period.

For his part, Stoltenberg announced at the Foreign Ministers' meeting on April 4 a proposal for a new NATO "Mission for Ukraine", a mechanism to secure directly a five-year military aid package from all 32 members of the alliance of up to $108bn to supply "lethal weapons to Ukraine". Reports, however, say that "none of the details have been worked out" and it will have to be approved at the NATO summit in July. The proposal would give the NATO alliance control of the US-led Ramstein weapons support group [2] which is at present an informal group of countries supplying weapons to Ukraine from individual countries. However, such a move would further expose the Anglo/US NATO alliance as the sole weapons supplier and escalator of the war in Ukraine against Russia and not individual countries on a bi-lateral basis. Infighting and contradictions have again erupted as this is being seen as a method of "Trump-proofing" weapons supplies to Ukraine. The US would have to supply the money it is presently refusing to supply to Ukraine, but now would have to supply as part of NATO.

At the same time, as the NATO military alliance passes its 75th anniversary, it is also attempting to globalise itself to threaten China and the DPRK in East Asia. The US-led alliance is using pressure and deals to secure support and to ramp up threats to China by arming and sending special forces to Taiwan. However, the Anglo/US NATO old imperialist dream of trying to once again conquer Russia and reconquer China is driven by their morbid preoccupation with the defeat of their old world order that they hanker for. Along with the other imperialist powers of the old world, this might be the final move of NATO, as they cannot reconcile themselves to the new that is coming into being in the world.

This new world is one where its peoples are not undermined or intimidated by the disinformation that these imperialists can sort out any problem facing humanity. It is a world that is coming into being, where working people work out their own vantage point based on identifying and upholding their own principles and interests, not one that is based on the pragmatic calculations of these imperialists. It is a world where it is necessary to uphold the cause of international peace and draw warranted conclusions from the events in Ukraine, Palestine and elsewhere over the past two years and more. NATO has no place in such a world.

No to NATO! Yes to Peace!

Notes
[1] Sweden became NATO's newest member on March 7, after depositing its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States in Washington, DC. With Sweden's accession, NATO now counts 32 countries among its members, all under US command.
[2] The Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG, also known as the Ramstein group) is an alliance of 56 countries (all 32 member states of NATO and 24 other countries) and the European Union which allegedly supports the defence of Ukraine by sending it military equipment in its conflict with Russia.

Today, Saturday, April 13, is a national day of action. There will be marches, rallies and demonstrations in regions up and down the country. In London, people will be assembling at 12 noon and marching from Russell Square to Parliament Square to demand an immediate ceasefire, that Britain stops arming Israel and for a free Palestine. [1]

In its newsletter of April 12, the Stop the War Coalitions says:

"Tensions between Iran and Israel are at boiling point amid threat and counter threat. In response to Israel's attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, which killed seven Iranian officials including two generals, Iran has threatened to launch a direct strike on Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu warned he will retaliate in kind.

"President Biden lost no time offering his full support to Israel. In a statement to the world's media Biden confirmed US 'commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again: ironclad.'

"The attack by Israel on Iran's embassy has worsened an already dire relationship between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Countries across the globe have begun issuing travel restrictions as fears of a wider regional war grow. Had the UN Security Council, the US and others condemned the attack in Damascus this knife edge scenario may have been averted. But Israel has again been allowed to act with impunity.

"As we have said since October, the war in Gaza could ignite the entire region. It appears this may be about to happen. The only way to end this threat is to end the genocide in Gaza and stop supplying arms to Israel. That's what we'll be demanding on the streets across the UK this weekend."

Palestine & the Unions: The Next Steps for the Movement

Stop the War writes:

"The global movement against the genocide in Gaza is having an enormous impact. The pressure on governments to stop arming Israel is huge and we must keep it up. On Thursday 18 April we're bringing together representatives from across the UK and beyond to discuss how trade unionists can continue to deliver effective solidarity to the Palestinian people.

"Susan Abdul Salaam from the New Union of Jerusalem will be joining us live as will president and founder of the Amazon Labor Union, Chris Smalls, from the US. PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote, RMT President Alex Gordon and Stop the War's Andrew Murray make up an esteemed line-up. Join us for this crucial discussion."

See here to register: https://www.stopwar.org.uk/events/palestine-the-unions-the-next-steps-for-the-movement/

Note
[1] For actions elsewhere, see https://palestinecampaign.org/events/day-of-action-for-palestine-stop-the-genocide-in-gaza/

The National Education Union (NEU) has decided to hold a formal strike ballot if members reject this summer's pay offer.

Last year, NEU members in England held eight days of strikes. Strikes were also held by those in the ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT. This wave of action ended when teachers in these four unions all accepted the government's 6.5% pay rise for 2023-24. Action in Wales ended with NAHT members accepting a new workload agreement and improved pay offer. In Scotland, last year's dispute concluded with unions accepting pay rises for 2022-23 and 2023-24. In the North of Ireland, all five recognised teachers' unions accepted pay offers for multiple years, resulting in a 10.4% increase in starting salaries.

However, the government is set to announce its final decision on pay for 2024-25 at the end of the summer term, with the Department for Education suggesting in the lead-up a lower pay increase next year due to falling inflation forecasts. All of the issues remain, and education is facing a crisis in recruitment, retention and funding. Morale is very low, with 9% of the teaching profession leaving before retirement last year. Experienced teachers' pay remains 12% lower than in 2010-11.

The NEU, which comprising around 300,000 members in England and Wales, held a preliminary online ballot, with 93.3% of members in England and 87.2% in Wales expressing their support for strike action if teachers do not receive a 2024-25 pay increase above the RPI inflation rate. The union also insists that any pay rise is covered by additional funding, as well as stressing the importance of workload improvements to address recruitment and retention issues.

The overwhelming support demonstrated by the indicative ballot prompted the union's executive to table an emergency motion on pay for at the annual NEU conference held in the first week of April in Bournemouth.

The emergency motion, which was passed by conference delegates, reaffirms that "members are prepared to act industrially", opening up the possibility of a new round of school strikes starting in September. The motion also states that "any formal ballot on pay and funding in coming months will now need to be expanded to include workload". The motion also instructs the union executive to rebuild the School Cuts Coalition, and to work to challenge neo-liberal policy on assessment, the curriculum and accountability.

It is also the case that, under new minimum service levels due to come into force by September, unions will have to ensure schools in England stay open during strike action. The motion also instructs the executive to build the campaign against this anti-democratic legislation.

Commenting after the motion was passed, NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said:

"After achieving an overwhelming majority vote in our recent indicative ballot, NEU conference committed to intensify its campaign to win a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise and greater resources for schools and colleges.

"Education is on its knees, struggling to cope with a crisis never seen before in our sector. And the responsibility for this lies squarely at the door of Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan and 14 years of mismanagement and underinvestment by a government that does not care.

"Today, the NEU put this Government, and any new Government that follows it, on notice. We will move to a formal strike ballot in England and Wales if and when necessary to save our schools and colleges.

"This decision is a clear message to Gillian Keegan. If you want to fix the urgent recruitment and retention crisis and support schools and colleges to meet the rising tide of pupil needs, you must meet with the NEU to directly discuss the question of pay and funding.

"Having already clipped the wings of the School Teachers' Review Body by capping the cost envelope for pay at 1-2%, the Government cannot pass the buck.

"In a General Election year, every school leader, every teacher and every parent wants solutions to the crisis facing education. This crisis needs to be resolved. In the General Election campaign, educators and parents will be demanding that politicians commit to significant additional investment in education so that we value, recruit and retain the experienced and expert teachers and support staff we need.

"The Government needs to take action to solve the crisis that is threatening to destroy education. But if it - or any Government that comes after it - does not, we will."

NEU is also currently holding a preliminary ballot of support staff for an above-inflation pay rise and further funding to improve staffing. Voting is open until April 19.

The DfE expressed disappointment over the possibility of another strike ballot. Kebede called on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to open serious talks to avoid a "collision course" with the union.

(Sources: NEU, BBC News, Schools Week, The Telegraph, The Guardian)

Note
For a statement by the NEU and the full test of the emergency motion, see:
"NEU votes on pay and funding campaign", NEU press release, April 4, 2024
https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/neu-votes-pay-and-funding-campaign

The NEU also passed a motion on Palestine at their annual conference:
"Children should not pay the price of war", NEU press release, April 4, 2024
https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/palestine