Change the conversation, support rabble.ca today.
The European Trade Union Confederation and Canadian Labour Congress issued a joint statement on the Canada-EU free trade negotiations (CETA), which continue this week in Brussels, Belgium.
"Negotiators have claimed that their work will be finalized in the coming days and weeks, but unions on both sides of the Atlantic have made it clear that any agreement is only acceptable if based on a high standard, setting a benchmark for future agreements worldwide, and certainly not undermining existing conditions in relation to labour rights, public policy space and the provision of public services," says a press statement from the ETUC.
The joint declaration emphasizes three conditions that should be met if CETA is concluded. Notably the unions oppose the inclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement process like the one in NAFTA's notorious Chapter 11, which is used more and more these days to challenge non-discriminatory, non-trade distorting government decisions, legislation and other environmental or public health measures.
"It is imperative," they state, "that the failings of the NAFTA are not replicated, let alone aggravated, by any future CETA. This applies to investor rights in the first instance. We oppose the inclusion of an investor-state arbitration mechanism in the agreement. We concur with the European Parliament's assessment that 'a state to state dispute settlement mechanism and the use of local judicial remedies are the most appropriate tools to address investment disputes'."
The unions also insist that CETA "should not include any commitment to open or liberalize public procurement at the subnational level, including at the municipal level. Local governments should have a clear and permanent exemption from the CETA so they can use public money in support of sustainable, local, economic development."
Finally, the declaration calls for a democratic process before CETA can be ratified. "The public has the right to full disclosure, along with the right to meaningful and informed input into the negotiations," say the unions.
Thank you for reading this story...
More people are reading rabble.ca than ever and unlike many news organizations, we have never put up a paywall – at rabble we’ve always believed in making our reporting and analysis free to all. But media isn’t free to produce. rabble’s total budget is likely less than what big corporate media spend on photocopying (we kid you not!) and we do not have any major foundation, sponsor or angel investor. Our only supporters are people and organizations -- like you. This is why we need your help.
If everyone who visits rabble and likes it chipped in a couple of dollars per month, our future would be much more secure and we could do much more: like the things our readers tell us they want to see more of: more staff reporters and more work to complete the upgrade of our website.
We’re asking if you could make a donation, right now, to set rabble on solid footing.
Comments
Do
Don't