As many of you might know, Canada is going ahead without the US to try to negotiate a "free trade" agreement with Chile. Today, the Canadian LabourCongres and the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores of Chile issued a joint satement calling for inclusing in any agreement of clauses "which would improve labour and environmental standars in any bilateral trade agreement betweentheir two countries." Thestatement came from CLC Prsident Bob White and CUT Presidnet Manuel Bustos. The purpose is to prevent erosion of social and environmental standards unlike the provisions of NAFTA. "In order to prevent the further erosion of social standards, the CLC and the CUT Chile want a bilateral trade agreement to include labour standars such as feedom of association and collective bargaining, enforceable standars which prevent child labour and require a minimum age of employment, and clauses on equal pay and discrimination. These social clauses are included in conventions Of the International Labour Organization." Who will give me what odds that either government will pay the slightest regards to human rights or international conventions? Paul Phillips, Economics, University of Manitoba.
