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ÉTATS-UNIS-COLOMBIE - Clauses sociales : l’APC-TLC relance-t-il la discussion ?
28-Nov-2011 alterinfos
Ce texte a comme principal propos de s’interroger sur la possibilité que les clauses sociales et environnementales des traités de libre échange deviennent un instrument important de la protection des droits du travail et des droits environnementaux en Amérique latine.
Race to the bottom: Maquiladoras, free trade, can of worms
4-Oct-2011 COHA
Obama does not mention that FTAs traditionally have prompted US companies to transfer their manufacturing processes to countries with lower wages, rather than noticeably creating jobs in this country, writes COHA
Workers’ rights a part of trade deals
3-Oct-2011 Politico
The Republicans’ refusal to reference the Colombian Action Plan Related to Labor Rights in the US-Colombia free trade agreement’s implementing bill — and the Obama administration’s acquiescence to that refusal — is a fundamental flaw that is becoming increasingly apparent, writes US Representative Sander Levin
Documentary: CAFTA led to workers’ rights violations in Honduras
27-Sep-2011 AFL CIO
Ever since it was passed five years ago, the Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) has led to an increase in unemployment, violations of worker rights and discrimination against women in Honduras, according to an about-to-be-released documentary.
Jordan firm accused of sexual abuse supplied clothes to Sears, Target and others
27-Sep-2011 WBEZ
Since 2007, at least 300 young female employees have been raped and brutalized by Classic managers while sewing clothes for giant retailers, including Hanes, Target, Sears, Macy’s and Land’s End. These garments enter the US duty-free under the US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement.
FTAs promote inequality: Stiglitz
23-Sep-2011 Prensa Latina
According to Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize winner for economics, free trade agreements constitute one of the clearest links between globalization and increasing inequality.
Guatemala labor case: US steps up pressure
12-Aug-2011 In These Times
The United Steelworkers union (USW) said it strongly supported the US plan to move forward with arbitration.
U.S. requests panel to decide Guatemala labor case
10-Aug-2011
The United States said on Tuesday it was requesting a dispute settlement panel to hear its year-old complaint that Guatemala has failed to protect workers’ rights as required under a free-trade agreement.
’Free’ trade deals are bad for Mass. cities like Fall River
17-Jul-2011
Long before 2008, when Wall Street’s unchecked greed brought the world’s economy to its knees, we in the middle class could feel our future slipping away. We knew that we were working longer and harder — we could clearly see that even with two salaries, most families had less disposable income than families did in the ’60s and ’70s when one income was the norm.
ETUC wants FTA with Ottawa to strengthen workers’ rights
6-Jul-2011
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to ensure that the free trade agreement currently negotiated with Canada strengthens workers’ rights. In a letter dated 4 July and sent to De Gucht, Bernadette Ségol, ETUC’s general secretary, asked the EU to adjust its negotiating position in order to include in the final agreement a “strong” dispute settlement mechanism, with the possibility of fines being imposed for breaches of international obligations on labour standards.
Bahrain hires US lawyers to fight complaints over sacked workers
26-Jun-2011
Bahrain has hired a US law firm to tackle a complaint filed by the US’s largest trade union, threatening the kingdom’s bilateral trade agreement with the world’s largest economy.
South Korea ‘free trade’ deal: Another funnel for exploitation
6-Jun-2011 In These Times
While President Obama and most Congressional Democrats are allowing the Republicans to define America’s most urgent crisis as the budget deficit, the nation’s job deficit grows more dire day by day with no clear, forceful direction coming from the White House.
US steps up pressure on Guatemala to enforce labor laws
19-May-2011 AFL-CIO
The Obama administration announced yesterday that because Guatemala has not taken sufficient steps to effectively enforce its labor laws, as required under the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), it is requesting a meeting of the Free Trade Commission.
Workforce initiatives put brakes on controversial free trade deals—for now
19-May-2011 In These Times
Lawmakers and corporations have worked hard these past few weeks to cinch a slew of free trade agreements in Congress, eager to repeat the tried-and-true formula of shifting jobs overseas and undermining working conditions at home and abroad. But just as the ink was starting to dry, something got in the way: workers.