A schoolboy will share a platform with the Prime Minister to read out his poem to hundreds of people.

Peter Inkpen, 14, of Tivoli Crescent North, Brighton, is one of four schoolchildren who won a poetry competition organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) which opens at the Brighton Centre on Monday.

The three other winners have made a video of themselves reading their poems which will be shown to delegates, but Peter is less nervous about speaking in front of Tony Blair.

He has chosen to read his poem to the thousand-strong audience which includes high-ranking union members.

Peter, who attends Cardinal Newman School, Hove, is following in Mr Blair's footsteps who read out his own poem from the Congress platform two years ago but was rebuked by Poet Laureate Andrew Motion for his old-fashioned use of rhyme.

Peter, who won the competition category which asked students to describe their vision of work in the future, said: "I was obviously pleased my poem won, but I do feel slightly pessimistic about both employment and unemployment in the future. Adults seem to become obsessed over their work. It's good to chill out sometimes."

The competition is the brainchild of TUC president Bill Morris who suggested Year 9 students across the city penned a poem on the theme of work to strengthen links between trade unions and the community.

The other three winners are Kate Evans, Vicky Twigg and Jo Romain, who are all 14.

Kate, who attends Patcham House School, painted a dramatic picture of child labour in her poem. Her moving description of an eight-year-old child working under terrible conditions in a factory was an immediate hit with competition judge Norman Willis, a former TUC General Secretary and Vice President of The Poetry Society.

Kate, of Ashburnham Drive, Coldean, said: "We'd been reading a true life diary at school of a little boy who had been sold by his parents and had to go out to work, which was very sad. We're lucky in this country because we can get a good education, and we live in houses whereas some people just live in huts."

Vicky and Jo, both pupils at Blatchington Mill School in Hove, worked together on their poem Rich Man Poor Man, which looked at poverty and homelessness.

Vicky said: "I sometimes see homeless people on the streets of Brighton, and I feel sorry for them. There are so many different reasons why people end up homeless, and I think more should be done to help them."

Her friend Jo, who lives in Portslade, said: I'm doing quite well in English at school, although I don't usually read much poetry. It's quite hard to think about what it's like to be homeless. I think most people try not to. I always give money to musicians up and down George Street, because they're really making an effort."

The winners will go on stage to receive their prize of £50 tokens. Their schools will receive £500 worth of computer equipment, courtesy of the trade union bank Unity Trust.

Chris Marshall, of the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate in Brighton and Hove, worked with the TUC to organise the competition.

He said: "This competition provided a fitting context for pupils to demonstrate their writing skills."