TRADES councils have secured a new dialogue with unions in the arms sector.

North Lanarkshire TUC’s Drew Gilchrist, supported by Clydebank TUC’s Nathan Hennebry, moved a motion declaring peace a labour movement issue.

Mr Hennebry said the motion followed “the Labour government’s shocking announcement in the spring Budget to increase so-called defence spending whilst simultaneously putting some of the country’s most vulnerable people on death’s doorstep.”

Addressing the conflicts some trade union branches in the industry face, he added: “You go into work, but you also have to go back home to your community.

“Should communities be utterly ravaged by cuts so we can have an industry exporting death, destruction and displacement?”

The motion was remitted, but Mr Gilchrist was pleased that progress had been made, telling the Star: “We did fear that it might have ended up swept under the rug, but the three unions in the sector have committed to open up a dialogue between trades council movement and the workers and union conveners in the industry.

“The peace movement spent the last couple of years trying to find a way into unions to have that dialogue.”