[WSF-Discuss] Is the EU's Trade Policy Good for Workers?

[CACIM]

*September 19, 2008*

*Is the EU's Trade Policy Good for Workers?*

*IATP <http://www.iatp.org/>'s Alexandra Strickner is blogging from the fifth
European Social Forum <http://www.fse-esf.org/> taking place in Malmö,
Sweden, from September 17-21.*



While discussions about free trade agreements at past European Social Forums
have centered on the WTO's Doha
Round<http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/dda_e.htm>and its
impact on people in the Global South, the trade debates at this ESF
have taken a new focus. Organizations who don't usually deal with trade
policy are exploring the linkages and/or impacts of the current European
trade policy with their issue of concern. Given the increased levels of
unemployment, stagnant wages and the deterioration of job quality and social
security, an important lense to analyse the EU´s current trade policy is its
impact on labor. The EU´s trade policy, titled "Global Europe – Competing in
the World,"<http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/october/tradoc_130376.pdf>claims
to contribute to growth, jobs and the European
Social Model <http://www.etuc.org/a/111>. Representatives from trade unions
in Europe and Latin America, as well as groups working on trade policy and
labor issues in the EU and U.S., shared their analysis and experiences of
how trade policies effect labor.


John Hilary from War on Want <http://www.waronwant.org/>, Tim Costello from
the U.S. based Global Labor Strategies
<http://laborstrategies.blogs.com/>project and Gonzalo Berron from the
Trade
Union Confederation of the Americas
<http://www.cioslorit.net/english/>outlined the negative effects of
free trade agreements on workers in the
Global South and North America. Hilary also referred to soon-to-be published
data on the effects of free trade agreements on labor in the EU. Ana
Camposampiero from an independent Italian trade union
(Sdl<http://www.sdlintercategoriale.it/>)
explained that most European trade unions still believe the opening of other
countries' markets for EU products secures jobs and creates new ones, as
long there are social clauses included in such free trade agreements. A
young member of the Metal Workers Union of Germany commented that German
workers in transnationalized companies are supportive of the free trade
agenda: they see their jobs saved if more export possibilities are secured.
This spurred a discussion over the need for trade unions to develop
transnational solidarity and collaboration. It also showed the need for more
discussion and educational work to be done among workers.


Overall, the majority of participants in the discussion concluded that the
EU's external trade strategy will further deteriorate job conditions and
social rights, not only in the Global South, but also in Europe, and that it
will further dismantle the European Social Model. Based on this assessment,
changing the supportive approach of most EU trade unions was considered a
key challenge for the near future, together with the need to develop
alternative proposals for trade and investment rules that truly respond to
the interests of workers.


Posted at 04:34 PM in Alternative
Policies<http://iatp.typepad.com/thinkforward/alternative_policies/index.html>,
Trade <http://iatp.typepad.com/thinkforward/trade/index.html> |
Permalink<http://iatp.typepad.com/thinkforward/2008/09/reports-from-th.html>

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