Brown pressed for EU Treaty vote

The TUC Congress unanimously backed calls for the public to be given a say, in a direct challenge to Prime Minister Gordon Brown who is holding out against the idea.

Leaders of some of the country's biggest trade unions stressed they were not anti-European, but said Europe should move in a different direction in a bid to improve workers' rights and public services.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said Labour's pledge was right when it was made at the last general election and it was right now.

The GMB's resolution, which was passed unanimously by delegates at the Brighton conference, was aimed at a new vision for social advances in Europe, he said. "We have never had a serious debate about Europe in this country. The EU has become an ideal kicking horse. If you are in doubt, give the EU a clout."

Mr Kenny accused the government of listening to business groups such as the CBI in continuing to deny the public a vote.

Colin Moses, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association said: "We have had a bellyful of broken promises and what we have here is another broken promise. I have been told that to support this must mean I am a closet Tory, but if democracy is to mean anything, surely promises must be met."

Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, said his union was not anti-Europe and would rather die than associate itself with the Tories or UKIP.

"But we don't want to be part of a Europe that discards the social model that can bring so many benefits to working men and women across Europe. We certainly can't support docking a referendum - not because the government has broken its promise to hold one - but because our government is still pushing a Europe with British workers as second class citizens," he said.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union, failed to gain support from the conference for a "no" vote in any referendum. He argued that unions should give a clear lead if any vote was eventually held. Mr Crow said the decision by the TUC showed that the "progressive movement" in Britain was demanding a vote. "If a referendum is good enough for the people of Ireland, it should be good enough for the people of Britain."