Towards a ‘Europe that shares our values’

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner moved a general council statement on the EU referendum at the TUC today (September 15), arguing for a vision of “a social Europe, a peaceful Europe and a greener Europe.”

 
Steve began by acknowledging that the issues surrounding a planned referendum on EU membership was a complex one, one that was “not a straightforward left-right ideological debate”.

 
“But for all our different opinions,” Steve noted, “what unites us in this period is Cameron’s attempts to undermine social protections, employment and trade union rights.”

 
“We have a duty to inject the collective experiences of over 6 million working people into the debate — to ensure their voices, concerns, fears and aspirations are not ignored,” he added.

Steve hailed that TUC’s proud record of “arguing for our vision of a social Europe, a peaceful Europe, a greener Europe.”

This vision, Steve noted, shares the values of “solidarity, collectivism, human and civil rights, equality and freedom”, and places the “needs and aspirations of its people above the narrow self-interest of global corporations”.

But Steve told Congress that “we have a lot of work to do”.

 
“For far too long, EU institutions have advanced a nakedly neoliberal agenda at the behest of member states,” he said, pointing to the “troika” which intensified the economic crisis in Greece and acted to undermine democratically elected governments.

 
He also condemned the EU’s undemocratic trade deals such as CETA and TTIP which are now being negotiated in secret – a situation he deemed the “largest single power grab by corporations we’ve ever witnessed”.

 
Steve argued that, most shamefully of all, “it has taken the body of a three year old child to move leaders into even limited action to offer refuge to thousands fleeing war.”

 
He went on to say that the general council statement on the EU referendum “reflects the realities we face at home – a vicious, ideological anti-worker government”.

 
“But the Tories are doing this regardless of the EU,” Steve said. “They are doing it because they want to and they won’t stop until we stop them.”

 
Steve warned prime minister David Cameron that he will lose members’ votes to stay in
the EU if he continues in his efforts to weaken workers’ rights.

 
He cautioned that the referendum campaign will provide a platform for the “narrow isoliationist views of Nigel Farage and the Daily Mail” which, he argued, must be exposed and defeated.

 
“Congress,” Steve continued, “for all our deeply felt concerns with the EU it remains the case that right now the biggest threat to working people…is the neoliberal politics of Cameron and the Tories here at home,” not, he added, “French, Spanish, Nordic, Bulgarian, Polish or any other workers.”

 
“We stand united against the scapegoating of immigrants and inhuman treatment of refugees,” he went on to say. “This EU referendum will not be an attack on the most marginalised or those in desperate need.”

 
“We won’t let their politics of divide and rule win,” Steve asserted. “Our challenge is to unite and push for a new settlement in a Europe that shares our values and offers hope to its people.