UNISON, the UK’s largest trade union and the Labour Party’s largest affiliated trade union with over 1.3 million members, voted overwhelmingly today to back a motion calling on the government not to replace Trident, Britain’s nuclear weapons system, less than one day after Gordon Brown’s announcement that he supports a new generation of nuclear weapons. The UNISON motion says that “a decision to replace Trident would run counter to (the UK’s) treaty commitments.”

The motion continues, “Conference resolves to call on the government not to conclude any agreements or to engage in preparation to build a new generation of nuclear weapons until after a debate and deciding vote held in Parliament.”

Finally, the motion resolves to “oppose the replacement of Trident and to call for the decommissioning of the existing Trident weapons system.”

Speaking in favour of the resolution was Ann Black, a UNISON delegate and member of the Labour Party NEC, who called on the conference to pass the motion overwhelmingly and to carry the policy through to the Labour Party.

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said, “We welcome this strong motion from Britain’s largest trade union. We know that the majority of the British public oppose a costly replacement of Trident, and call on other trade unions and organisations to join the movement against a new generation of nuclear weapons.”

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Notes to Editor:

1. For further information and interviews please contact Rick Wayman, CND's Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
2. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 32,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. www.cnduk.org