Italian metalworkers call for WTO reform
ITALY: Italian metalworkers wrote to Emma Bonino, Italian minister for trade, on July 24, calling on her to make the Doha Round of negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) an effective round for development.
The joint letter from IMF affiliates FIM-Cisl, FIOM-Cigl and UILM-Uil expressed concern about the negative consequences of excessive market opening, particularly for developing countries.
Particular demands of the unions for the Doha Round included:
The unions argued that the Doha Round should be replaced by new rules to foster a policy of promoting human rights and development centred on people and on environmental sustainability.
The letter was sent to the Minister in anticipation of the WTO General Council meeting on July 27 and 28, which has since been cancelled following the suspension of the Doha Round of trade negotiations.
A copy of the letter is published in Italian and English on the IMF website.
The joint letter from IMF affiliates FIM-Cisl, FIOM-Cigl and UILM-Uil expressed concern about the negative consequences of excessive market opening, particularly for developing countries.
Particular demands of the unions for the Doha Round included:
- that the non-agricultural market access (NAMA) proposals being considered not be adopted as they would result in only five points difference between the coefficient for the developing countries and that for the industrialized countries;
- to ensure that tariff reductions for the developing countries are considerably lower than those for the industrialized countries;
- to allow developing countries to adopt their own development strategies based on their domestic markets and their own industrial policies, including tariff levels.
The unions argued that the Doha Round should be replaced by new rules to foster a policy of promoting human rights and development centred on people and on environmental sustainability.
The letter was sent to the Minister in anticipation of the WTO General Council meeting on July 27 and 28, which has since been cancelled following the suspension of the Doha Round of trade negotiations.
A copy of the letter is published in Italian and English on the IMF website.
