The brutal and casual murder of George Floyd has sparked an uprising. Protests have spread across the US and in other countries, fuelled by centuries of structural oppression and racism and a culture of impunity among the police force. The roll call of sons, fathers, daughters, grandmothers killed without justice did not start with Trump's presidency, but he has consistently promoted racist violence in his statements and his policies.
We stand with the international protests. Black Lives Matter. And here in the UK we cannot merely see racism as a US issue. Black lives matter in police stations. Black lives matter in hospital wards and care homes, on trains and buses, in schools and colleges - the shocking disparity in BAME Covid deaths even more dramatic among health and social care staff and transport workers. Black lives matter in the 'hostile environment'. As individuals, we must listen and learn. As climate campaigners, we must speak out.
Climate breakdown has always been an issue of racism as well as social and economic injustice. How could it be otherwise, when the Global South suffers so disproportionately from something it has done so little to cause? Environmental racism also manifests in the toxic pollution from fossil fuel extraction burdening low-income communities in many countries. This has led to the concept of 'sacrifice zones'. But when we compromise on cutting emissions, when 'moderation' is prioritised over climate scientists' stark warnings and call to urgent action, we are accepting the idea that poorer countries and vulnerable communities should be a 'sacrifice zone' for the sake of short-term profit.
We must insist on climate policy that says Black Lives Matter. We must stand with those, particularly indigenous peoples, who are defending their land, water and rights against fossil fuel companies and other resource extraction.
Right now we are heading for a recession that, like the pandemic, exacerbates all existing inequalities. And governments are handing out billions to prop up high-carbon industries. Campaigning for a green recovery which is also a just transformation of society, shaped by the voices those on the streets, demanding an end to racism and injustice - this campaign has never been more urgent.
Rest in Power George Floyd. Solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter. There is no climate justice without an end to racism
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Despite the aviation industry's current crisis, the climate-wrecking ambition of long-term expansion at regional airports across the UK has not gone away. The latest is Leeds Bradford Airport which wants to increase passenger numbers from 4 million per year now to 7.1 million by 2030 and up to 9 million by 2050.
Whether you live in the local area or not, you can object to their planning application (you will need to register first). Earlier this year, North Somerset Council faced a strong local campaign against Bristol Airport expansion, supported by over 8000 objections to the application and finally rejected the proposal.
This is in no way compatible with the government's commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Even less so with the more urgent reductions that we actually need to take in a climate emergency.
Leeds City Council themselves declared a Climate Emergency in March 2019, aiming to work towards making Leeds climate neutral by 2030. The contrast between this ambition and airport expansion plans is extraordinary.
In the middle of the ongoing Corona crisis, while the world struggles against the virus and countless workers are losing their incomes, the aviation industry is demanding huge and unconditional taxpayer-backed bailouts. Yet, in recent years, the industry strongly opposed any attempts to end its unfair tax exemptions and refused to contribute meaningfully to global emission reduction goals – which would require measures to significantly reduce the scale of aviation.
Not only is aviation already responsible for 5-8% of global climate impact, mostly caused by a wealthy minority of frequent flyers, but the sector also assumes that it can continue growing. Enormous profits were made in the last decades, off the backs of low-paid workers and to the detriment of the climate.
Workers affected by the current crisis need support, but we shouldn’t let the aviation industry get away with privatising profit while the public pays for its losses. Without addressing the structural problems that have left our societies and economies so vulnerable to crises like this one, we will be even more vulnerable to the next ones as inequalities between and within countries continue to grow and the ecological and climate emergencies worsen.
Bailouts must not allow the aviation sector to return to business as usual after Covid-19 has been defeated: any public money has to ensure that workers and the climate are put first.
This will be a challenging time for all of us and our communities as we face an urgent race to tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect lives. It's really important over the next few weeks and months that we look after ourselves as well as look after our planet.
As we do in our climate campaigning we recognise the importance of community and collective action to make changes to systems which are causing damage. We need collective action and community more than ever. We will be wary of actions by government which seek to limit the ability of groups to work together to make or demand the changes that are necessary to protect our health in this emergency and to protect the planet.
It was a great shock to hear that Nita Sanghera, vice-president of UCU and president elect, due to take office this May, passed away after a short illness. Nita was well known as not only a voice for working class young people in FE, but also a tireless campaigner for social justice. Due to the efforts of Nita and others, her union, the University and College Union, has emerged as one of the key trade unions in this country pushing for climate action.
In the video above, from our climate march in December 2018, she explains that for education to be relevant to young people, climate change must be a core part of the curriculum, leading to decent jobs that help solve the climate crisis. In the following year this became a key demand of the UK youth climate strike movement. We will remember her and take forward this vision: for real education, for social justice and for climate action.
Suzanne Jeffery, chair of Campaign against Climate Change, said:
"We are so incredibly saddened to hear of Nita's untimely death. She spoke at our demonstration last year, coinciding with COP 24. It was her first time speaking on the urgency of the climate crisis and the key role trade unionists need to play. She was brilliant, she inspired and informed in equal measure. Nita's speech as an educator and a trade unionists called for us all to step up and stand alongside young people. And she played a crucial role in ensuring the trade union movement did just that, ensuring her union UCU, were instrumental in the TUC voting for solidarity with school students on 20th Sept. We are grateful we were able to work with her, although all too briefly, and mourn the loss of a powerful voice for climate justice."
Guest post by Kim Hunter, Frack Free Scarborough (writing in personal capacity)
Late last Friday night, Britain's Tory government announced an immediate moratorium on fracking until it finds 'compelling new evidence' the industry won't have 'unacceptable impacts on the local community'.
Anti-fracking activists cried with relief, then uncorked the wine, told long-suffering family members they would finally spend quality time together and started organising well-side parties. And then they took to social media to question the Tories' integrity.
They have none.
Boris Johnson hasn’t suddenly become an ‘uncooperative crusty’ (as he called XR activists). He hasn't, after all, made 'people and planet before profit' the guiding principle of his election manifesto. The moratorium doesn’t include other forms of unconventional oil and gas, not even processes like acidisation, which in 2015 were excluded from the definition of fracking by political sleight of hand. The fracking moratorium falls into the same category as other populist pre-election measures.
But it is fracking that Johnson chose to sacrifice on the altar of his party's political ambition. He hasn't decided to renationalise the railways, or raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour. Fracking must fall because campaigners have so completely menaced the industry, so thoroughly countered its attempts to create positive PR, that it has become a political liability.
Guest post by Sean Vernell, University and College Union National Executive Committee
The TUC passed, unanimously, the composite motion calling for a 30-minute workday campaign action to coincide with the global school student strike on the 20th September. It is the first time that the TUC has called on its 6.5 million members to demonstrate support for school students taking action. Indeed, it is the first time in many years the TUC has called on its members to demonstrate its collective power in solidarity with anyone.
The trade union movement has a great debt to pay to the school students for transforming the debate over climate change and making it one of the main priorities amongst working people.
TUC conference has today unanimously passed a motion to support the school student Global Climate Strike on 20th September and has called on TUC affiliate Unions to organise a 30 minute work day campaign action to coincide with the school students strike on 20th September.
We congratulate the delegates at TUC who have voted to recognise the significance of the Global School Students strikes, initiated by Greta Thunberg and the need for adults and especially the Trade Union movement to stand alongside young people, to ensure they do not stand alone in fighting for the urgent action needed to tackle climate change and ecological crisis and to deliver Climate Justice.
We ask all Trade Unions to now turn words into action and get organised to build on the fantastic examples of Trade Union solidarity action already in place for 20th September.
The 20th September is already set to be the biggest turnout of working people many organised through their Trade Unions in the UK uniting in solidarity with young people. But it can be even bigger and we still have two weeks to deliver solidarity action to put hundreds of thousands of Trade Unionist onto the streets.
We would like to salute the young people who have led the action and also the UCU NEC members who put forward the motion to TUC conference calling for a 30 minute stoppage. They have been bold enough to recognise the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for Trade Unionists to not only respond to the call for Trade Unions to join them but to be bold in their actions and demands. The support for the UCU statement with over 2000 Trade Unionists and over 100 organisations backing the call for solidarity and a 30 minute workplace stoppage on 20th has also shown us the appetitive that there is for climate action within the Trade Union movement.
We ask all Trade Unionists to do everything they can to match the boldness required of us by the urgency of the Climate Crisis. We have just under two weeks now to build maximum solidarity on the 20th.
This is just the beginning and we will need to continue the work of building solidarity, fighting to ensure our unions have the most progressive policies which match what the science tells us that we need to do and to continue to demand the Climate Jobs and a Green New Deal which can deliver the Just Transformation that we need.
Guest post by Sean Vernell, University and College Union National Executive Committee
UCU, at this year's TUC congress, has tabled a motion calling for the trade union movement to support a 30-minute workday stoppage to coincide with the global school student strike on the 20th September.
Almost 2000 people and 90 union branches and climate campaign organisations have signed a petition in support of the motion (you can add your name here). The catastrophe that is unfolding in the Amazon has sparked outrage across the globe. The G7s response of agreeing a £18 million donation to resolve the problem is wholly inadequate and confirms the urgent need for the trade union movement to step up the campaign for climate justice.
Unfortunately, rather than seeing what is taking place in the Amazon as a signal to renew efforts to rise to the challenge of climate change, there now is an attempt to water down UCU's motion call for a 30-minute stoppage. An amendment tabled by the train drivers' union ASLEF attempts to replace the word 'stoppage' to 'working campaign action'.
Some unions seem to prefer the ASLEF wording and say they will be supporting the amendment. UCU believes that this would be a mistake.
UCU accepts that a motion that is supported by the TUC calling for 'a 30-minute working campaign action to coincide with the global school strike on the 20th September' (which is what the ASLEF amendment says in full) would be a step forward for the movement against climate change. However, it is clearly not the bold and audacious call that is needed at this crucial juncture we have arrived at.
We are unclear what 'working campaign action' actually means. If it is a survey or quiz about climate change then clearly this will be nowhere near what is needed.
Those supporting the ASLEF motion do so because they are concerned about the legality of the UCU's motion calling for a workday 'stoppage' without a ballot. They also argue that, if passed, it could put union members at risk of victimisation by their employers.
On the first concern raised, the way the unions laws are designed makes it near in possible for workers in Britain to obtain a legal ballot over climate change and even if a union could find a way (ie impact on health and safety) they would need to adhere to the new 50% thresholds.
The movement has to face up to the issue of taking action 'illegally'. Trade union history is filled with examples of workers breaking laws to ensure that society can progress. We as a trade union movement exist because six rural farm workers took 'illegal' collective action less than 200 years ago. They did so because for them it was a matter of life and death. To ensure that their families did not starve they had to take 'illegal' action. When a law is unjust it's the duty of the trade union movement to challenge that law.
On the second concern raised about putting at risk union members it is clear many employers are very supportive of their workforce taking action over climate change. For example, Patagonia, the outdoor gear company is actively encouraging its workers to take action on the 20th. It also has global policy of providing bail for workers arrested during climate protests! Germany's GLS ethical bank says it will close on the 20th September to allow staff to attend marches on the day. Tower Hamlets Council is supporting the students protest on the 20th and are keen to create opportunities for their staff to show their solidarity and are looking to organise a rally on the day with unions. There are many employers that are sympathetic to the school student climate protests and of their workers showing their support for them.
The trade union movement mustn't lag behind what some of the more advanced employers are saying and doing – it must put itself at the forefront of this global uprising both with alternatives to fossil fuels and action.
Guest post by Sean Vernell, University and College Union National Executive Committee
Greta Thunberg has called for the next global school student strike on the 20th September. This strike will kick off a week of climate action which finishes on the 27th September. It looks set to be one of the biggest days of action for climate justice yet. According to the Financial Times the employers too are feeling the pressure to move to support the global school student strike on the 20th September.
The UCU NEC has voted unanimously to send a motion to this year's TUC congress demanding that the TUC organise a 30-minute solidarity strike with the school students on the 20th September.
We have launched an online petition calling upon trade union leaders, workers, students and climate activists from across the movement to get behind the call to support the motion calling for a 30-minute stoppage. Whilst some may, understandably, feel that this is not enough, if passed it would potentially give millions of workers a little more confidence to take action on the day to support the school students.
