Unions refuse to let Labour off the hook, joining forces to demand ‘Wages not Weapons’

Nine trade unions, representing over a million workers, are refusing to let Labour get away with continuing austerity while dancing to the tune of apocalyptic US-led warmongering. As a culminating part of their Wages Not Weapons campaign, a motion from the 120,000-strong University and College Union (UCU) will ask the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Congress to overturn the organisation’s “support for increased defence spending”. Other unions supporting the campaign are the “NEU, CWU, FBU, ASLEF, TSSA, PCS, Equity, BFAWU, POA”.

“Starmer, Badenoch, Farage, all falling in line”

In a clear critique of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, the unions lament that the government is continuing the right-wing neoliberal lie that “there is no money left”, especially when “billions upon billions are poured into arms at the behest of [US president Donald] Trump”. As they insist:

when it comes to investment in death and destruction abroad, the money is always found.

In a joint video, representatives of the unions say:

When Starmer wants money for weapons, the money just flows and flows and flows.

And they see:

The whole political establishment bouncing to the tune of Donald Trump.

Starmer, Badenoch, Farage, all falling in line.

Labour says there’s no money left for workers.

But somehow there’s always money for war.

Trade unions are coming together, with one simple demand: wages not weapons. pic.twitter.com/7b6vFSb3mD

— UCU (@ucu) September 4, 2025

In a statement, they add that:

Leaving our communities in a state of disrepair and failing to bring back our industries while splashing out on American weapons only deepens the insecurity workers experience every day. It also leaves us a much lesser country to defend.

And they slam the elitist political gravy train, emphasising that:

The entire political establishment, from Farage to the Tories and the corporate media, are lined up behind this agenda for one simple reason: it serves their interests and is a direct attack on ours.

The motion for congress: Wages Not Weapons

The UCU’s motion argues that the “chronic neglect and underinvestment” in “Britain’s public services, public goods, and core infrastructure”:

harms working people, holds back unions and compounds national decline.

It also asserts that:

rearmament is not a suitable standalone foundation for national renewal

And that:

there can be no meaningful national security in the absence of massive public investment to rebuild the social and economic fabric of working-class communities

It then argues that:

we should stand, in our best traditions, for peace and against militarisation

As part of this, it calls on the TUC to:

reverse policy, dating from 2022, of support for immediate increases in defence spending

And to:

reaffirm that our movement’s priority is welfare and wages, not weapons and war.

Such a commitment would stand in stark contrast to the priorities of the current Labour government, which is clearly following a philosophy of ‘war over welfare‘. And it would – once and for all – make ongoing union support for the Labour Party illogical and untenable.

You can sign a petition to support the UCU motion here.

Featured image via screengrab