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Date: 18 April 2007
Replacing Trident could cost 3,000 jobs - UNISON
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary of UNISON, Scotland's largest public
service union today condemned the Government decision to replace
Britain's Trident nuclear fleet and pointed to a recent report that
demolishes the claims that failing to replace Trident would lead
to job losses.
Matt Smith, speaking at the annual STUC Congress in Glasgow, said
"The STUC and Scottish CND have put forward a detailed report* on
replacing Trident. This has destroyed arguments about job loss should
Trident not be replaced and in fact points to the job losses which
will occur if it is replaced. "Trident replacement will be a high
draw on the nation's finances. This is not funded from the Defence
Budget but from general revenue expenditure. This cost is not met
by building fewer warships or tanks. It is funded by providing fewer
public services or in our welfare provision. Replacing Trident could
put at risk up to 3,000 Scottish jobs.”
Matt went on the say that Trident is costly, unnecessary and unjustifiable
but it is more than an argument about costs. "Even if Trident were
delivered gift wrapped and free we should still reject it. " He
said.
"How can it be right for the UK to not only retain a nuclear warfare
system but also to replace it when we tell others that they must
stay out of the arms race? Former UN Nuclear Weapons Inspector Hans
Blicks has said ‘So long as any State has nuclear weapons other
will want them, and so long as any such weapons remain there is
risk that they will one day used by design or accident'
Matt called for campaigning to continue against replacing Trident,
and for others to follow the lead of Scottish MPs a majority of
whom voted to scrap the weapons.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor: *A copy of the full report can be downloaded
from STUC website http://www.stuc.org.uk
or hard copies can be ordered from Scottish CND, 15 Barrland Street,
Glasgow G41 1QH. (p&p £3.00 per copy).
For Further Information Please Contact: Matt Smith (Scottish
Secretary) 0845 355 0845(w) 07771 546 997(m) Chris Bartter (Communications
Officer) 0845 355 0845(w) 0771 558 3729(m)
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