Congress calls for EU referendum but rejects a no vote campaign

Last month’s TUC Congress backed a call for a referendum on the EU reform treaty, although it rejected a motion which called for the General Council to campaign for a no vote.

In one of the more charged debates of the week, the delegates voted by a substantial majority to call on the Labour Party to “hold a referendum on the ratification” of the treaty in line with its manifesto pledge, and said that they were “bitterly disappointed that the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights will not apply to British workers and their trade unions”.

The successful motion was moved by Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB general union. Stressing that his union was “not anti-EU” as “many British workers have Europe to thank for real gains”, he called for a referendum as not to have one would be to “break promises made to the British people”.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT rail union, wanted the delegates to go further and back a call for a no vote in the referendum. He argued that EU directives “allowing privatisation of all our industries” meant that unions should oppose the treaty.

However, despite support from the public sector union UNISON, the PCS civil service union and the Fire Brigades Union, this position did not win majority support from the delegates.