TUC votes for wages not weapons

Motion 37 moved by Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary, said that the Labour government must prioritise investment in working people, not endless wars abroad.

She told delegates: “Our country is broken. Classrooms crumbling, patients abandoned, families in poverty yet billions for bombs. Cash found for weapons. No cash found for wages.”

She said that the government’s priority should be on wages, public services and our communities.

Greater instability

Alex Gordon from RMT seconded the motion and said that the increase in defence spending would cause greater international instability.

Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy spoke to oppose the motion and warned that it risked the solidarity and unity of the trade union movement.

He said that defence workers make a vital contribution and are part of the public good.

“Defence workers are a vital part of our national infrastructure,” he said.

Marianne Owens spoke to support the motion for PCS and outlined how “our country has suffered 15 years of austerity. Public services underfunded, social security attacked, wages driven down.”

She said: “Child poverty has risen to 4.5 million; and there are more families homeless than ever before. The election of a Labour government promised ‘change.’ But what we’ve seen is attacks on pensioners’ winter fuel payments, cuts to disabled people’s benefits and international aid slashed.”

She said that in government departments where our members work, some continue to have their budgets cuts, job losses and office closures announced. With inflation already hitting 3.8%, many workers are faced again with getting a real terms cut.

“But there are billions available for weapons and war,” she said. “Military spending is being expanded by tens of billions of pounds in the coming years.”

As PCS has members working in the Ministry of Defence, she asked Congress should we be welcoming this extra funding? She answered: “No, because at the same time Starmer and John Healey were announcing their plans to increase defence spending, the permanent secretary David Williams revealed plans to shrink the MoD’s civil service workforce by around 10% – 5,000 job losses by 2030.”

She said that we want that extra funding but, in the NHS, in our children’s schools, in social care, in workers’ wages and better social security.

“We don’t want it being given to American arms companies to bring more death and suffering to innocent people around the world,” she said.

Marianne urged delegates to support the motion and “send a united message to the government that we want wages not war, public services not slaughter and welfare not weapons.”

Decent wages

Ian Clarke from GMB spoke to oppose the motion and said that it “pitted worker against worker.”

He said the defence industry provided sustainable work and decent wages but needed investment for the future.

Ian Murray from the FBU spoke in support of the motion and described “war as a consequence of the capitalist system.”

“The FBU wants investment in public services that should be provided as a basic necessity,” he said.

Tony Kearns from CWU spoke to support the motion and commended to conference CND’s alternative defence review which challenges the dominant war narrative—cultivated by political elites, the military-industrial complex, and the mainstream media—and offers a new vision for peace, justice, and security.

He said that Keir Starmer had made a political choice to increase defence spending rather than increasing investment in public services.

"This government's spending on climate change mitigation is £11.3 billion. Its spending on defence is £58 billion per year. Thirty-five percent of all government research and development is spent on the military,” he said.

The motion was carried following a card vote with 2,871,000 votes in favour and 2,291,000 against.

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