Future frigates no win for workers

Socialists have condemned the militarisation of South Australia, the so-called defence state, at the annual National Union of Students Education Conference, held in Adelaide from 2 to 5 July.

We argued that the left should oppose the $35 billion contract between the federal government and British defence company BAE Systems to build nine Hunter Class naval frigates.

Student members of the Labor Party, reflecting the bipartisan support for militarism, argued strongly in favour of the contract. Their argument – one also being made by the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union – is that the project will create 4,000 jobs, 1,500 of which will be in the shipbuilding industry in South Australia.

But this is not a good deal for the working class. The Australian workers’ movement should stand in solidarity with the workers and oppressed of the world, not with multi-billion dollar companies profiting from human devastation.

BAE has a horrific history. Most recently, it has sold weapons to Saudi Arabia, which has carried out war crimes in Yemen – attacking weddings, destroying hospitals and murdering civilians.

The money being spent on war machines in South Australia should instead be spent on public transport infrastructure. That would provide jobs and improve the lives of working class people.

We argued for a campaign against the contract and other military projects.

Last year, a public campaign prevented an international nuclear waste dump being set up in South Australia. The state government tried to sell the dump with the promise of jobs.

But the Maritime Union of Australia spoke out against the proposal and was an important part of the protest movement that stopped the project. Without the MUA’s cooperation, it would have been impossible to unload any imported nuclear waste.

We need this sort of action against the militarisation of the state today.