“There can be no meaningful national security without strong public services, secure jobs, safe homes to live in and a social infrastructure that enables people to thrive.”
By Matt Willgress
The UCU union, alongside the National Education Union, UNISON, Equity, the RMT, PCS, TSSA and BFAWU unions, held an event at TUC Congress on Monday highlighting the important “Wages Not Weapons” campaign prior to the debate on the issue on Wednesday, chaired by UCU President Dyfrig Jones.
As the publicity for the meeting pointed out, at a time when “millions are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living… diverting precious resources into military expansion risks deepening inequality [and] limiting opportunity.” Additionally, there “can be no meaningful national security without strong public services, secure jobs, safe homes to live in and a social infrastructure that enables people to thrive.”
UCU General Secretary Jo Grady opened the meeting by reminding attendees of the success of the ‘Wages not Weapons’ motion at TUC 2025, when prior to that victory the policy had been to support increased military spending.
She argued that “12 months on, this debate has not gone away,” with the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, and now there is “growing pressure to commit even more public money to weaponry,” whilst politicians “have begun to talk like there is no alternative to militarisation.”
Andy Burnham has declared a commitment to creating “a new economic model,” but public services are “stretched to breaking point” whilst wages are stagnating, yet too often the idea of higher and higher military spending is presented as a fait accompli.
Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary and a key partner in the ‘Wages Not Weapons’ campaign, argued that teachers and pupils need an end to austerity in education from the new Prime Minister, yet instead – at the same time – we are seeing the biggest increase in military spending for generations.
Furthermore, this diversion of spending from public services to military spending – which is set to be near £300 billion over the next four years – could cost a net loss of 100,000 jobs in Britain.
There is an alternative – “investing in climate” and our children, rather than increasing military spending to “appease Donald Trump.”
CND’s General Secretary Sophie Bolt thanked the UCU for organising the event and really pushing ahead with this vital campaign, “reframing the whole debate on what security really means and how we get it,” at a time when “the world has never been more dangerous.”
Not going ahead with new nuclear weapons alone would free up at least £240 billion over the next thirty years. What could be achieved with different priorities is remarkable – “This would fund free school meals for all for 46 years, or could retrofit all homes in Britain in just eleven years.”
Sophie concluded that rather than being part of a new war drive, we need to invest in climate justice and our public services to help achieve real security.
PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote noted that Britain had already been involved in numerous military adventures in recent decades, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, at great cost in human and financial terms, and said “there must be no austerity in our public services” to fund further militarisation. The reality is that “If Andy Burnham wants growth in every postcode, he needs investment in every postcode.”
TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust also added her support to the ‘Wages Not Weapons’ motion and campaign, in addition to calling out those who are seeking to blame migrants and refugees for the problems working-class people in Britain are facing.
These are all problems which would of course be further exacerbated by a lack of investment in jobs and public services, with budgets being “salami sliced to fund greater militarisation.”
Our message as a movement is clear – wages not weapons, welfare not warfare!
- Sign the ‘Wages Not Weapons’ petition here.
- Read more about CND’s “People Not Nukes” report and campaign here.
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