UGT takes part in the International Conference Against War held in London.
The union reaffirms its commitment to peace, social justice and international cooperation in the face of policies of rearmament and militarization.
A delegation from the General Union of Women and Men Workers (UGT) took part in the International Conference Against War, held on 20 June in London, which has established itself as one of the largest international gatherings held this year in Europe in defence of peace and against military escalation.
The conference brought together more than a thousand trade unionists, political representatives, academics, peace activists and social organisations from numerous countries in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East at the historic Central Hall Westminster, continuing the work of the International Conference for Peace held in Paris in 2025. The aim of this gathering was to strengthen the international coordination of trade unions, social organisations and citizens’ movements committed to peace, international cooperation and the defence of social rights in the face of policies of rearmament and militarisation.
During the various sessions, issues were addressed such as the increase in military spending in numerous countries, the proliferation of armed conflicts, the social and economic consequences of wars, the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, the deterioration of public services, and the need to strengthen diplomacy, international law and cooperation between peoples as instruments for resolving conflicts.
The UGT delegation conveyed to those present the fraternal and solidarity greetings of an organisation which, for almost 140 years, has been part of the international labour movement and has maintained a firm commitment to the defence of peace, democracy, social justice and the rights of the working class.
The union expressed its deep concern at the current international context, marked by rising military tensions, the arms race and the increase in defence budgets in numerous countries. It also warned that every euro allocated to rearmament must be scrutinised, and that these resources must not be diverted from investment in healthcare, education, pensions, public housing, social care, infrastructure or other essential services for citizens. Likewise, it recalled that it is working women and men who end up bearing the economic and social consequences of conflicts and of the austerity policies that often accompany them.
At the conference, UGT also argued that the trade union movement cannot remain indifferent to the militarisation of economies and societies. On the contrary, it has a responsibility to intervene when attempts are made to replace a model based on welfare, decent employment and social cohesion with another sustained by the logic of war and by the economic interests associated with the arms industry.
The union recalled that its origins are deeply linked to workers’ internationalism and to the conviction that the problems of the working class know no borders. It therefore reaffirmed its commitment to international cooperation, solidarity between peoples, and the defence of the right of peoples to freely decide their future in the face of any form of domination, aggression or confrontation.
The trade union delegation also upheld UGT’s democratic memory and recalled the sacrifice of thousands of members who suffered persecution, imprisonment, exile and even death for defending freedom, social justice and democratic rights against authoritarianism and intolerance.
One of the central messages shared during the conference was that the great social advances won by humanity never came through wars, but through the organisation of working women and men, social mobilisation and international solidarity.
In this regard, UGT defended a political and social agenda centred on the needs of the social majority:
• More wages and less inequality.
• More decent employment and less precariousness.
• More investment in healthcare, education and public services.
• More labour and social rights.
• More cooperation between peoples.
• More democracy and more peace.
• No more wars.
The conference concluded with a call to strengthen international cooperation between trade unions, social organisations and citizens’ movements in order to confront the growing militarisation of international relations and to place the defence of peace, human rights, social justice and democracy once again at the centre of the political agenda. It also promoted the call for an international day of action for Palestine on 10 October and mobilisations against rearmament on 21 and 22 November.
Through its participation in this important international gathering, UGT reaffirms its commitment to building a fairer, more democratic and more solidaristic world, where public resources are used to guarantee quality employment, strong public services and a dignified life for citizens, rather than to fuel new arms races.
UGT conveys the message that peace is not a passive attitude, but something that requires commitment, social justice, democracy and solidarity between peoples. The conference served to bring together the efforts of organisations around this idea as one of the main tasks of class-based trade unionism.
23 June 2026
Source : UGT
You can watch the London conference here
You can watch the Paris meeting here