Unions call for transparency in Pacific-rim trade talks

TRANS-PACIFIC: Trade union leaders of nations involved in talks to create the latest international trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPPTA), are calling for the negotiations to be inclusive and open, not conducted behind closed doors with a few corporate players, as too many other deals have been.

In a letter sent on May 10 to the trade ministers of Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and the United States, union leaders say that workers’ voices must be part of the negotiating process.

The unions are recommending:

• Setting up meetings at the negotiations where representatives of civil society groups can be regularly briefed about the content of the talks.
• Establishing regular channels between governments and groups such as unions and employers so they can be meaningfully involved.
• Making sure TPPTA governments consult with indigenous groups in their country on trade issues that may affect them, as required by International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169.
• Creating a joint TPPTA website, where detailed information about the trade negotiations is posted and updated regularly. The site also should allow non-government groups to post their analyses and proposals about the trade deal.

The recommendations were detailed in a letter co-signed by the leaders of national trade union centers in Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and the U.S.