(Thursday 23 April 2009)
A packed STUC fringe meeting in the Salutation Hotel heard RMT general secretary Bob Crow make the case for the new left-wing, anti-EU electoral alliance No2EU.
"The EU was sold to people on the basis of its social benefits after the war," Mr Crow said on Tuesday.
"The capitalist states were petrified that the Soviet Union would expand.
"But after it collapsed, they believed there was no need to offer benefits to the workers. Instead, the EU has become all about competition, trying to race everyone down to the bottom."
Mr Crow argued that the European institutions were an extension of global capital.
"In reality, the EU institutions can't be changed. MEPs meet once a year to talk about the Budget, but, in reality, they have no power."
"We believe there is a massive protest vote out there against the EU," Mr Crow said.
"But who can people vote for? The Tories, the Lib Dems and new Labour all support the EU capitalists, they all support the European Court of Justice judgements. If we don't pick this issue up, the BNP will pick up votes."
Mr Crow stated that some people had criticised No2EU by saying it was another new political party, but he pointed out that it was an electoral alliance to mobilise opposition in the European election of June 4 - finishing on June 5.
"If we win any seats, we will not take them up - we'll call a convention to discuss how to take the issue forward."
Mr Crow argued that No2EU wants a different kind of Europe.
"It's not European workers who we oppose - we want to link up and show solidarity with other workers in Europe - it's the European Union that we oppose."
"Let's get out of Europe and back into the world," Mr Crow concluded.
No2EU candidate in Scotland John Foster told the meeting: "The EU is a concentration of capital. That means its power is concentrated and so it attacks workers.
"We can see this in the terms of the Lisbon Treaty and the European Courts of Justice cases of Viking, Laval and Luxembourg.
"It is nothing less than a frontal attack on workers' rights."
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