From the Guardian Interactive. ********************************************** Debate ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Third world still can't see past western self-interest John Edmonds Monday April 17, 2000 The strains generated by international free trade in global markets surfaced on the streets of Seattle and are resurfacing again in Washington. Globalisation has spread fear throughout the world. Economic power is being concentrated through massive mergers. It is easy to understand why the World Trade Organisation, perceived as an instrument of wealthy corporations, incurs opposition. As rapid economic change spreads insecurity, General Motors packs more punch than some European Union member states. In the United States, many fear that their jobs will be exported to the developing world. British workers share their concerns. At the end of 1999, the livelihoods of some 6,000 GMB union members employed in the clothing industry were jeopardised by Marks & Spencer's decision to terminate long-standing contracts with British suppliers. The jobs were to move to the developing world where workers would be paid 4% of British labour rates. In more than 70 of the world's poorest nations, nearly 30m workers are employed in so-called free trade zones, making goods such as jeans for western markets. These employees, mainly women, work up to 16 hours a day in brutal conditions. Accidents are common. There are no trade unions and no labour regulations to offer basic protection. The multinationals' search for cheaper labour does not stop at replacing a protected, developed-world workforce with sweated adult labour. There are some 250m economically active children aged between five and 14. The WTO has said that its members will respect International Labour Organisation core standards against the worst forms of child labour. But there has been little progress. Labour standards are a fundamental human right. Yet, as demonstrated at Seattle, many developing countries oppose their introduction because they see them as disguised western self-interest. In their view, developed countries are attempting to narrow the labour cost gap to protect their jobs. But if this is the motive, the policy will surely fail. Good health and safety standards are cheap compared with wages. For example, the GMB has developed a needle guard for sewing machines that costs only a pound. No one is suggesting that factories in Sri Lanka should immediately pay the same wage rates as factories in the United States. The arguments about child labour and safety have to be based on principle. The trade union movement has argued for minimum employment protection standards by which nations and transnational corporations must abide. The positive outcome at Seattle was that many countries previously opposed to discussing the issue began to reconsider. The challenge is to ensure that developing countries gain from the introduction of safety standards and the right to join independent trade unions. A first step would be to set up a permanent ILO-WTO working group. This body should propose mechanisms to integrate labour rights into WTO rules and trade agreements. At the same time, industrialised countries should shun protectionist measures. The ILO should be given authority to monitor compliance with labour standards and to develop incentives for encouraging good practice. In a civilised society, we have to work together or each will suffer alone. The WTO rules must be reformed to enable governments and consumers to distinguish between products on ethical, environmental and health grounds. • John Edmonds is General Secretary of GMB. This is an edited extract from his contribution to After Seattle: Globalisation and its discontents published tomorrow by Catalyst. Full details: www.catalyst-trust.co.uk hkanteh ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------