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<\/p>\nMajor trade unions have refused to support a motion condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Both the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Fire Brigades Union failed to back a vote to censure Vladimir Putin’s military assault.<\/p>\n
The unions declined to support yesterday’s motion at the TUC Congress in Liverpool despite it being passed with the support of other major unions.<\/p>\n
The motion stated that the TUC Congress ‘unequivocally condemns Russia’s illegal, aggressive invasion of Ukraine’.<\/p>\n
But the RMT, headed by Mick Lynch, abstained on the vote. And the FBU voted against the motion as they blasted ‘imperialist interests’ on ‘both sides’ of the conflict.<\/p>\n
The FBU also expressed concerns about arming Ukraine’s ‘far right’.<\/p>\n
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The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers ( RMT ), headed by Mick Lynch (pictured), and the Fire Brigades Union failed to back a vote to censure Russia’s invasion<\/p>\n
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FBU representative Jamie Newell spoke against the motion, titled Composite 21, because he claimed it was ‘one of UK military intervention’<\/p>\n
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The motion, which was passed with the support of other unions, stated that the TUC Congress ‘unequivocally condemns’ Vladimir Putin’s ‘illegal, aggressive invasion of Ukraine’<\/p>\n
Speaking at the conference in Liverpool, FBU representative Jamie Newell branded Russia’s invasion a ‘crime pursued for the narrow interest of the Putin regime’ and said his union condemned it.<\/p>\n
But he spoke against the motion, titled Composite 21, because he claimed it was ‘one of UK military intervention’ and\u00a0‘predicated on the expansion of UK arms sales’.<\/p>\n
‘The original motion and the undertones of this composite is one of UK military intervention,’ Mr Newell told the conference.<\/p>\n
‘We are proud of our history of internationalism and we oppose this composite.<\/p>\n
‘The space for workers to debate this is being shut down.’<\/p>\n
He added:\u00a0‘We do not believe the escalation of war offers anything to the working class in Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
‘Whilst the motion mentions opposition to imperialism and imperialist interests, they exist in both sides of this conflict.<\/p>\n
‘Anyone who reviews the military interventions of the past 20 years must recognise that – you only have to look at Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.<\/p>\n
‘Those wars have turned their worlds into a never-ending spiral of conflict, destroying societies and victims later being blamed for becoming refugees.<\/p>\n
‘During this year’s congress, we’ve heard about the rise of the far right – these elements exist in both Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
‘We oppose these groups and we do not support arming them now only for them to become a threat in the future.’<\/p>\n
Mr Newell claimed the passing of the motion would ‘only serve to line us up with a Tory Government who is waging class warfare against our people – we do not trust our Government at home and we do not trust them abroad’.<\/p>\n
‘Common interests of Ukrainian and Russian people are not served by our country providing military and practical aid,’ he continued.<\/p>\n
‘Remember that a bayonet is a weapon with a worker at both ends.’<\/p>\n
The RMT did not comment on yesterday’s vote but a spokesman pointed to the union’s continued condemnation of Putin’s invasion and their call for the immediate withdrawal of Russia troops from Ukraine.<\/p>\n