Is it really jobs or nuclear weapons?

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Jobs for Peace not War

The new government is not heading for peace and a nuclear-free world. Instead, we have Labour’s ‘unshakeable’ commitment to NATO, nuclear weapons, and AUKUS.

All this costs money. But as usual, when it comes to weapons and war, the government will find it. Labour plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. A massive increase that will take money from other vital budgets.

We need that money instead to tackle so many crises: the cost of living, welfare, health and social care, food insecurity, housing, education, the environment and climate. We need investment in public services and jobs that are essential for our society.

Denuclearise, Decarbonise and Diversify for Peace

CND believes we need transformational change: away from an increasingly war-oriented economy, to one that meets the pressing needs of humanity.

Some trade unions back proposals for increased defence spending on the promise of jobs. But equally, many workers support nuclear disarmament and are anti-war.

UK taxpayers already heavily subsidise ‘defence’ sector contracts to the tune of £billions, resulting in vast profits for weapons manufacturers, including the Trident replacement programme.

The jobs come at the expense of investment and jobs in other areas of the economy that are vital to our communities and a decent living standard and future for all.

Livelihoods should not be based on war, and no worker should be left with no choice but to work in sectors that threaten the lives of the working class in other parts of the world. This is not just a moral imperative. As trade unionists this is imperative for us as internationalists, peace activists, and our solidarity across our movement.

If you’re a member of a trade union and would like to get involved with CND in building labour movement strategies to denuclearise, decarbonise and diversify for peace, please contact tradeunions@cnduk.org.