THE STUC voted today to oppose increases in war spending and vowed to campaign for the money to be ploughed into public services instead.

A composite motion calling on the general council to work alongside comrades in the TUC to reverse Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to build a “war economy” by raising weapons spending to 3 per cent of GDP over the next decade passed on the final day of the Congress in Dundee.

Similar motions had been defeated over the last two years amid concerns from trade unions, including GMB and Prospect, about the future of jobs and apprenticeships in the sector.

In the debate, those unions made clear that those concerns had not gone away.

But Aberdeen TUC’s Fred Baer warned that the sector “exists for no purpose other than to destroy human life and the products of human labour.”

He said: “I appreciate that we have affiliates representing comrades working in this sector, but in the same way, the offshore unions understand that we do need to transition away from fossil fuels in a way that doesn’t suddenly rob people of a livelihood.

“It is time to understand that the arms sector itself is rotten and we should be pushing for investment in alternative jobs.”

Taking on the economic arguments for armament, he continued: “Every pound spent on arms generates only half as many jobs as every pound spent on education, health and environment.

“In other words, every pound we waste on this rearmament exercise is actively costing us jobs and shrinking the economy, compared to if that money was instead invested in our public services and infrastructure.”

After going to a card vote, the composite motion passed by 625 votes to 512, to the “delight” of Aberdeen TUC secretary and peace campaigner Kate Ramsden.

Afterwards, she told the Morning Star: “This important motion brings us in line with TUC. With this decision, delegates affirmed that war and the economic forces behind it can never be in the interests of our class.

“We have given the government a clear message from the Scottish trade union movement that we oppose increases in defence spending to the detriment of our members in public services and the people who depend on them.

“That should be welcomed by every delegate in the hall.”