Support UCU's TUC motion for a 30-minute solidarity climate stoppage

Millions of school students across the globe have struck for climate justice. Their action has forced governments across the world and the UK parliament to declare a climate emergency. We need to keep up this pressure. If this is not achieved then the earth's climate will have passed a dangerous tipping point with temperatures rising up to 4 degrees by the end of the century - in the lifetime of young people alive today. 

Climate is a trade union issue. Trade unionists must play a central role in shaping the way society's economic and social organisation meets the needs of future generations and the planet.

Greta Thunberg's call for a climate strike and for adults, workers and trade unionists to join the global school students' strike on 20 September 2019 is one that trade unionists from all unions must take seriously. 

In line with motions passed at UCU Congress, the union is submitting the motion below to the forthcoming TUC Congress which takes place from 8 to 11 September in Brighton.

UCU is calling on all the TUC affiliate unions, student unions, and politicians and community groups, to support the call for a 30-minute workday stoppage in solidarity with the global school student strike on 20 September.

Our school students are fighting for a better future for us all. Let's make sure they are not fighting alone.

Sign up here (as an individual or an organisation) to call on the TUC to act

Motion for TUC Congress 2019

• the Earth's temperature has already risen by one degree above pre-industrial levels. The autumn IPCC report warned that we only have 12 years to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees. Carbon emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 and reach zero carbon by 2050 in order to avoid a dangerous tipping point
• the tremendous impact of the school students strikes in shifting government complacency over climate change forcing them to amend the 2008 Climate Change Act
• Greta Thunberg's call for a Climate Strike and for adults and workers to join the global school students strike on the 20th September which will begin a week of action on climate
• the solidarity strikes organised by trade unions in Belgium and France. 

• climate change is a trade union issue
• 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
• that taxing the very wealthy and closing tax loopholes in line with Labour Party manifesto commitments will meet the cost of cutting emissions
• that we must keep the pressure up. The school students have led the way but educators and the trade union movement as a whole must now act to ensure that they don't fight alone.

• The TUC to call a 30-minute workday solidarity stoppage to coincide with the global school student strike on the 20th September.