PPU is an acronym that can refer to two distinct entities in the United Kingdom: the Peace Pledge Union, a pacifist organisation founded in 1934, and the PPU, a short-lived British pilots' trade union that operated from 2012 to 2021.
1. Peace Pledge Union
The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom that promotes pacifism. Its members are signatories to the pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of war. I am also determined to work for the removal of all causes of war." The PPU forms the British section of War Resisters' International.
History: The PPU emerged from an initiative by Hugh Richard Lawrie "Dick" Sheppard, canon of St Paul's Cathedral, in 1934. After publishing a letter in the Manchester Guardian inviting men to send postcards pledging never to support war, 135,000 men responded. Membership was opened to women in 1936. Notable sponsors and members have included Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell, Vera Brittain, Siegfried Sassoon, Benjamin Britten, and Michael Tippett.
During the Second World War, the PPU opposed the war and argued for a negotiated peace. Membership peaked at approximately 140,000 in 1940. Some members faced arrest and prosecution for anti-war campaigning. After the war, the PPU condemned the use of nuclear weapons and campaigned against conscription.
White Poppy Campaign: The PPU's most visible contemporary activity is the White Poppy appeal, started in 1933 by the Women's Co-operative Guild. The white poppy commemorates all victims of war—both military and civilian—and serves as a pledge for peace.
21st-century activity: The PPU has participated in protests against the 2003 Iraq War, focused on peace education, Remembrance Day, and opposition to what it describes as the "militarisation" of British society.
2. PPU (Pilots' Union)
The PPU was a British pilots' trade union that represented a minority of pilots working for Virgin Atlantic. It was certified as a new union by the Trades Union Certification Officer on 26 November 2012. The union was launched after a poll of 548 Virgin Atlantic pilots returned a 76% response rate and an 87.4% vote in favour of establishing a new union.
The PPU was a web-based "e-union" that used technology to provide a global 24/7/365 presence. Membership was eventually expanded to include pilots working for TUI Airways and British Airways. As of its 2018 AR21 form, the union had 325 members, representing approximately 30% of Virgin Atlantic's pilots. The union was dissolved on 2 February 2021.
