International labor campaign against nuclear weapons

by: Gary Bono
November 7 2009

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nuclear

 

In a sign of growing international labor solidarity around broad social issues, the global union federation UNI has joined forces with the International Trade Union Confederation; RENGO, the Japanese national trade union center; and GENSUIKIN, the Japan Congress against Atomic and Hydrogen bombs, in an international petition drive.

The petition calls on the nations of the world to take urgent action to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and is to be presented to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon in May 2010, when the UN meets to review the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The petition's main points call for the total abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020. In this the petitioners support the actions of the mayors of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only cities ever to have suffered nuclear attack. The petition also calls for the transfer of military spending to socially useful ends, while at the same time protecting the livelihoods of those who now are employed in the creation and deployment of these weapons.

This new coalition sees that the changes in the U.S. political situation have put the fight against nuclear weapons on firmer footing. The UNI has hailed the recent award of the Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama, in the context of the abolition of nuclear weapons, and world peace in general, because of his support for international diplomacy and for envisioning a world with out nuclear weapons.

The UNI, founded in 2000, is an international trade union federation with over 900 affiliates in 140 countries. The present international labor petition campaign is nothing out of the ordinary for UNI and its 20 million members, since UNI has long focused on global agreements targeting multinational corporations. It is also not surprising that UNI has linked up with the 7 million members of RENGO and the ITUC, of which the AFL-CIO is a member, to promote international workers' solidarity via a cause that has world wide benefits.

In November 2010 the UNI will hold its World Congress in Nagasaki, Japan, a city who the UNI General Secretary has said should be the last to experience nuclear attack.

Those who would like to join follow workers in signing the petition can do so by visiting http://www.breakingthroughforpeace.org/

 

 

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  • Here is the complete petition:

    We wish to add our voices to the global campaign for an end to nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. We believe that the world needs to take urgent action to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and to make the world free of nuclear weapons, as part of the overall drive for worldwide peace and the transfer of military spending to socially-useful ends. The international treaties concerning nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear weapons test-ban and fissile material cut-off are essential to achieving this goal.

    In May 2010 the United Nations will meet to review the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Trade unionists from around the world are urging that meeting to make a clear path towards abolition of nuclear weapons in the shortest possible time. We ask that:

    those countries which have not joined the NPT do so, and for all countries to comply with it in full;

    the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty enter into force as soon as possible;

    there be an immediate start to and rapid progress on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty; and

    we ask for international agreements to support nuclear-weapon-free zones.

    We support the actions of the “Mayors for Peace”, headed by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in calling for abolition of all nuclear weapons by 2020.

    Production and maintenance of nuclear weapons, and military expenditure overall, cost more than one trillion dollars each year. We call for major reductions in military expenditure, to allow this money to be spent on social and economic development and fighting poverty.

    We further ask that this transformation from military to peaceful expenditure be done in a way which protects the livelihoods of those who would be affected by it.

    Posted by Alan Maki, 11/21/2009 10:32am (4 months ago)

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