TWN Info Service on Free Trade Agreements

01 December 2006


MTUC, Women Voice Concern Over Malaysia-US FTA

The MTUC expressed its regret that it has not been consulted in the ongoing Malaysia-US FTA to ensure that workers will not be negatively affected. It wants to be actively consulted so that the rights and welfare of workers will be protected. (Item 1)

Separately, the Committee for Asian Women (CAW) warned against signing the FTA as based on experiences with FTAs elsewhere, women’s rights are often compromised in such agreements. (Item 2)


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Item 1

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/28/nation/16152112&sec=nation

MTUC not given details of FTA talks

THE MTUC regrets not being consulted by the Government in the many rounds of talks with the United States in respect of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) in the region, said Makkal Osai (A Tamil daily)

Its secretary-general G.Rajasegaran said that MTUC would oppose any condition in the FTA which affects the rights, benefits and job opportunities of its one million members.

Speaking at a DeepaRaya Open House, he said the Human Resources Ministry had informed the MTUC about the FTA but the full details had not been given to the congress.

He said the interest of the workers should come first and the Government should hold talks with the MTUC so that the rights of workers would not be affected.

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Item 2

(http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/26/nation/16130635&sec=na)
Group: FTAs bad for women workers

BY LISA GOH

KUALA LUMPUR: Stop selling away the rights of women workers by entering into Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

In making this call the Committee for Asian Women (CAW) said there was less protection for workers, particularly women, when states participated in the FTA.

CAW chairman Jurgette Honculada said that in the last 20 years, Asia had seen the highest number of women in the labour market – about 50% of the workforce in most countries comprised women.

CAW is a network of 39 women worker groups from 14 Asian countries.

“Women workers take up the lowest jobs, receive wages below the minimum wage, and have no security or legal protection of work.

“They experience ‘informalisation’ of work (where workers are not entitled to legal protection and benefits of traditional employment), and erosion of existing labour standards,” said Honculada in the three-day regional conference here yesterday entitled Impact of Globalisation: Uniting Women Workers of Asia in Action.

She said countries had been deregulating policies and entering into FTAs to increase the flexibility of the labour market.

“This has reduced the authority of the state in protecting the rights of women workers, allowing unfair and inhumane employment practices.

“In many Asian countries, growing unemployment and trend of a growing informal labour has resulted in the labour movement suffering a loss,” she said.

“All these threaten workers’ rights and weaken the bargaining power of workers.”