In what was a fairly momentous decision, Congress backed a composite motion from Glasgow and Aberdeen Trade Union Councils to oppose the UK Labour government’s plans for increased defence spending and
to campaign for public services to be prioritised. 
Fred Bayer
A card vote followed an excellent debate when the issues were fully aired. However delegates confirmed that war and the economic forces behind it can never be in the interests of our class.
It aligned with the TUC Congress in giving 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.
Seconding, ATUC’s Fred Bayer told Congress that the moral case against rearmament and the arms sector more generally is pretty well understood.
“It is a sector that exists for no purpose other than to destroy human life and the products of human labour,” slammed Fred.
The argument that defence expenditure grows the economy, creates jobs and boosts union membership is a myth, he added, pointing to research that shows 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.
“The IPPR has warned that unless they reverse course on this, Scotland will lose another 20,000 jobs in local government in the next 3 years.
“Rearmament is just yet another anti-worker, anti-social, element of this appalling Labour government’s hare-brained policy,” Fred warned.
Congress agreed and supported the motion on a card vote 625 to 512.
