Ed Miliband is to hold a special conference of the Labour Party to ratify his plans for a radical new relationship with trade unions in the wake of the Falkirk allegations.
The move will prompt comparisons with the special conference Tony Blair held in 1995 to scrap the party's Clause 4 commitment to nationalisation.
Mr Miliband called for the three million nurses, engineers, shop workers, bus drivers and construction workers who are members of trade unions at the moment to join Labour and be a "proper part of our party".
But a poll carried out by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft suggests that outcome is unlikely. The survey found just 12% of members of the huge Unite union would join Labour as individual members.
Unite members were also more likely to think the Labour Party did a bad job (47%) than a good job (42%) of representing ordinary working people.
Mr Miliband has already said he wants members of trade unions affiliated to Labour to be given the chance to opt in to membership of the party, replacing a system where their political fund levy is automatically passed to Labour unless they opt out.
An interim report on the changes is exacted by the annual party conference later this year. The special conference is expected to be held next spring.
Mr Miliband said the links the party has with trade unions need to be "real, local and vibrant".
He said: "We need to reach out to people in every walk of life, including small businesses, entrepreneurs, and in every part of the country."
And he called for activists to help him "build a movement again – a movement that makes change happen in communities across the country. And a movement that changes Britain".
And he contrasted his approach with that of David Cameron, who has faced awkward headlines over his meetings with donors in the big business.
"Britain's working people don't get to have cosy dinners in Downing Street to discuss policy, like David Cameron's big donors," said the Labour leader. "That's why they need a party that is open to them. That is on their side. A One Nation Labour Party for all the people of Britain, not just a few at the top."
The changes were prompted by allegations the Unite union attempted to interfere in the selection of the Labour candidate to fight Falkirk at the next general election.
Sitting MP Eric Joyce has already said he will not stand in 2015.
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