The TUC strays a long way from its knitting
One might think that the economic downturn was enough to keep the TUC busy, but apparently not:
"As the world marks the 64th anniversary of the use of Atom Bombs on Japan..the TUC is today linking up with Japanese unions to ask UK workers to sign a global petition asking the UN to abolish nuclear weapons. The TUC is also calling on mayors across the UK to join Mayors for Peace..Conflicts often have their roots in poverty and inequality, and unions want social justice not weapons to be the solution. Next year nuclear weapons will be 65, it's time to retire them".
Hands up anyone who can name a C20th war in Europe which had its 'roots in poverty and inequality'?
Elsewhere, the release notes 'The petition is being run by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Mayors for Peace'. Can't say I had heard of the ITUC, but along with the European Trade Union Confederation, it is run by a Briton, so we are well on the way to having this global syndicalism business sewn up. Mayors for Peace was started by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - they do not like nuclear weapons, but presumably thought that the Tokyo firestorm was just dandy. My thoughts on the Dropping of the Bombs are in the archive here, and nothing in the last two years has caused me to change my mind.
Meanwhile, in an abrupt change of tempo, the ITUC's logo:
How does one untangle the semiotics of that? Suggestions please.
"As the world marks the 64th anniversary of the use of Atom Bombs on Japan..the TUC is today linking up with Japanese unions to ask UK workers to sign a global petition asking the UN to abolish nuclear weapons. The TUC is also calling on mayors across the UK to join Mayors for Peace..Conflicts often have their roots in poverty and inequality, and unions want social justice not weapons to be the solution. Next year nuclear weapons will be 65, it's time to retire them".
Hands up anyone who can name a C20th war in Europe which had its 'roots in poverty and inequality'?
Elsewhere, the release notes 'The petition is being run by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Mayors for Peace'. Can't say I had heard of the ITUC, but along with the European Trade Union Confederation, it is run by a Briton, so we are well on the way to having this global syndicalism business sewn up. Mayors for Peace was started by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - they do not like nuclear weapons, but presumably thought that the Tokyo firestorm was just dandy. My thoughts on the Dropping of the Bombs are in the archive here, and nothing in the last two years has caused me to change my mind.
Meanwhile, in an abrupt change of tempo, the ITUC's logo:
How does one untangle the semiotics of that? Suggestions please.
Labels: Unions
This entry was posted
on Monday, August 10, 2009 at 7:55 am.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
But the unions WANT conflicts to be rooted in inequality and poverty, because of their constant need to justify their existence.
In that respect, they are no different from many arms of the Labour support base.
LfaT - Sounds about right.
Someone at the TUC needs to brush up on their law, and politics.
The UK is already committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons through the non-proliferation treaty.
Admittedly, the treaty doesn't set a deadline for the UK (and others) to dispose of their nuclear stocks, but the principle is already enshrined in UK law.
Re. the logo: if I recall my Warner Brothers cartoons correctly, that's a large rubber ball filled with glue being launched off a complicated anti-Roadrunner contraption which, while carefully constructed, is not - as Wile E. is about to discover - carefully constructed enough.
Perhaps if the ACME Corporation had resisted unionisation all those years ago, the machine would have been put together with a bit more care...
Ian - Well observerd.
Mr E - Like it. I was wondering if it was either an orange being dropped on a plate, or an unmanned fishing boat at sunset.
your second link also takes you to the TUC press release
Whoops. Now fixed.
Clearly, we have the fireball from an airburst nuclear weapon, and the shock wave represented in red about to obliterate everything. At the last moment, the populace rises up and gives voice one last time.....
"ITUC CSI IGB" they cry as one.
It probably means something like "The TUC should stop playing with themselves and go do something useful"
FT - Another good one.
» Post a Comment