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labour | workers’ rights

Tentative U.S.-Vietnam ’consistency plan’ links tariff benefits to labor compliance
4-Oct-2015 World Trade Online
Vietnam has tentatively agreed with the United States on a fully enforceable implementation plan to bring its labor regime into compliance with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
TISA and TPP: trade unions and social movements resist unfair trade deals
29-Sep-2015 Karibu Foundation: Voices from the South
Governments around the globe are currently engaged in the biggest burst of trade and investment treaty negotiations since the 1990s. This new wave of trade deals is primarily being negotiated by governments and corporations in complete secrecy.
Trans-Pacific Partnership: Renegotiating NAFTA by the back door
23-Sep-2015 rabble.ca
For years, trade and justice activists have proposed renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to address some of the deal’s most damaging features: for example, by removing the anti-democratic investor-state dispute settlement provisions of Chapter 11, linking trade benefits to genuine protections for human and labour rights (all the more important given the deteriorating democratic situation in Mexico), and establishing a continent-wide strategy for auto investment and production.
Labor’s FTA worker test ‘discriminates against China’
22-Sep-2015
Bill Shorten’s demand to impose new labour market testing requirements on Chinese workers who may come to Australia under the China-Australia free-trade agreement would involve actively discriminating against China compared with Australia’s other FTA partners, according to the think tank headed by former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr.
TPP could have ’catastrophic effects’ on Canada’s economy: Unifor president
20-Sep-2015 Power Play: Auto sector questions trade deal
The president of Canada’s largest private sector union says the Trans-Pacific Partnership could have "catastrophic effects" on the nation’s economy.
Think free-trade deals can raise labor standards? This case suggests otherwise
17-Sep-2015 In These Times
The Obama administration promotes the TPP as “the most progressive trade bill in history,” with the highest labor standards yet but similar promises have been trotted out to justify every free-trade agreement from NAFTA on.
Why we should oppose the free trade agreement with China
17-Sep-2015 Red Flag
There’s freedom for the bosses to hire and fire at will and to shut down their businesses, throwing thousands onto the dole. But there’s little freedom for workers to strike for their rights.
How many jobs? The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement will create hardly any
14-Sep-2015 The Age
The free trade deal is now about jobs, except the government has got the number all wrong.
NAFTA impact: your Oreo cookies made in Mexico, not Chicago
10-Sep-2015 People’s World
Starting soon, as a result of the firm’s drive for higher profits and lower wages, your Oreo cookies will be made in Mexico, not Chicago. And it’s all thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
What’s really at stake if the China FTA falls through
8-Sep-2015 The Conversation
Economic modelling demonstrates the gain in economic welfare from the three North Asian FTAs will be modest.
ASEAN govts should consider incentives for flexible employment arrangements
2-Sep-2015 Astro Awani
ASEAN governments should consider giving further incentives for expenses incurred by employers in implementing flexible employment arrangements.
10,000 emails sent to Bolton Euro MP about trade agreement which could see American firms providing health and transport services in UK
26-Aug-2015 The Bolton News
North West MEP Afzal Khan says he has received more than 10,000 emails from constituents concerned about the proposed trade agreement between the United States and the European Unions.
Disastrous TPP being pushed to wrap up by mid September
25-Aug-2015 Economy in Crisis
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is not dead. Even though talks failed last month in Hawaii and the 12 countries couldn’t come to an agreement, the last few legislative days left are being used up wisely.
Prosperity undermined
23-Aug-2015 Public Citizen
The status quo trade model’s 21-year record of massive U.S. trade deficits, job loss and wage suppression.
TPPA compromises M’sian workers
20-Aug-2015 MTUC
Government of Malaysia has proposed several amendments be made to the Sabah Labour Ordinance, the Industrial Relations Act and Workers’ Union Act to allow TPPA to materialise but labour groups are opposed to such measures.
TUC briefing on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
20-Aug-2015 TUC
TUC Congress believes that the primary purpose of TTIP is to extend corporate investor rights’ and thus adopted a position of ‘outright opposition’ to TTIP.
ASEAN puts last touches to economic community
18-Aug-2015 Viet Nam News
With most of the high-priority measures in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) blueprint already adopted, policymakers and businesses need to work closely on the remaining challenges to achieve benefits of full economic integration beyond 2015
ETU sparks trade debate
17-Aug-2015 Mornington News
Frankston and Mornington residents have been receiving automated phone calls, part of a campaign by the Electrical Trades Union to “stop the China Free Trade Agreement” amid union fears electricians’ jobs are at risk.
Bechtel revokes GLNG workers’ leave ahead of China FTA protest march
10-Aug-2015 The Australian Financial Review
A protest march planned by five major trade unions over the China free-trade agreement has set on edge management at United States construction giant Bechtel
Peru: Trade agreements bolster exploitation
31-Jul-2015 teleSUR
Analysts say policies initiated under the Free Trade Agreement with the US have taken away labor rights for hundreds of thousands of working class Peruvian citizens.