The response from students across the world to climate change is inspirational. The Trade Union movement has a key role to link together the issues for workers, youth and broader society and build on the lead already given.
The evidence is now compelling that global warming and extreme weather events are linked to climate change. Since the first earth summit in Rio in 1992, the emission of greenhouse gases have actually increased. Capitalist governments have shown themselves incapable of the decisive and radical action needed. It is capitalism itself that has shown itself to be the obstacle to the scale and pace of change needed to end our reliance upon the burning of fossil fuels and move to a zero carbon economy by 2050.
Trade unions need to heed the call for action raised by the inspirational and global school student strikes and the peaceful civil disobedience of the Extinction Rebellion protests we saw in London.
The Broad left Network believes climate change is a trade union issue. The Earth’s temperature has already risen by one degree above pre-industrial levels. The Autumn IPCC report warned we have 12 years to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees. Carbon emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 to reach zero carbon by 2050 in order to avoid a dangerous tipping point. It is clear to all rational people, unfortunately that doesn’t apply to the current occupant of the Oval Office, that the future of our planet is at risk if we don’t organise now to force governments to cut emissions in line with the IPCC Report.
The Broad Left Network believe PCS and trade unions in UK must use their collective power to win support for the decisive action needed.
We stand for;
* Statutory rights for Green workplace reps and Trade Union led environmental risk assessments in every workplace.
* Machinery of government changes to ensure the Civil Service is ready to deliver environmental policies as part of a National Climate Service.
* Tax Justice to fund the investment, clean transport, energy efficiency measures and training programmes that can help create millions of new, skilled, unionised jobs while cutting greenhouse emissions.
*Build on the Lucas Plan, One million Climate Jobs, Just Transition: A civil service perspective and many other initiatives across the world to set out plans for a Just Transition that places the interests of workers and trade unionists at its centre.
* To campaign alongside Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, TUC affiliates and the Labour leadership for the public ownership and democratic control of Energy from the community, municipal to the government and global level.
* Strengthen the links between the trade union and environmental movement in UK and globally through joint campaigns, protests, peaceful civil disobedience and strikes to mobilise support for the system change needed.
* Support the call for a global climate strike on 20 September 2019 linking school students and trade unionists across the world.
* PCS support for the UCU call for a 30 minute stoppage on the 20 September 2019 and lobby the TUC to call for a nation- wide stoppage with actions in and outside workplaces and protests across towns and cities in the UK.
If you’d like to get involved with the Broad Left Network, please get in touch via our contact page. Thanks.
PCS Broad Left Network 