THE Stop the War Coalition said it was unapologetically on the side of peace at a packed Unison conference fringe meeting in Liverpool today.

Tony Wilson, a member of Unison’s national executive committee, encouraged the labour movement to find its voice against the war in Ukraine.

He said he wanted to be clear that “we need to be on the side of the working class,” to help bring about an end to the fighting.

Coalition organiser Grace Roisin thanked Unison for its policy of wanting to see an end to the fighting in Ukraine.

She said: “Unison members can easily see that they are struggling for resources to deliver public services but at the same time see more than anyone the amount of money being put towards military spending.

“We are and always have been on the side of peace. We want to see an immediate ceasefire.”

Ms Roisin said that in the past there had always been a strong presence in Parliament for peace, but she warned: “Labour MPs have been threatened with losing the whip if they speak out against the war, so the anti-war movement needs to step into this vacuum.

“We need to change the way this war is being presented and perceived. We need to counter the mainstream analysis.”

Ms Roisin asked for support for the international day of action on July 8 organised by peace movements across Europe.

She also encouraged Unison branches to affiliate to Stop the War.

North-west peace campaigner Nigel Flanagan said: “They tell us there is a shortage of money for public services but they can spend millions on war.”

He told the meeting that it is more than a moral argument for peace: “It’s about greed and profit.”

Mr Flanagan said: “Cheerleaders for the war will be lining up next for the contracts to rebuild Ukraine after the war ends.”