FREE TRADE vs COMMUNITY & WORKERS' RIGHTS

On 11th June in the Asian Cultural Centre, Manzil Way Oxford, Dona Velluti organised a
fascinating meeting.

The main speakers were Trades Unionists from Colombia and South Africa.

From Colombia we heard of the deterioration of welfare payments and working
conditions, of privatisation of health services which is taking them out of
the reach of the 60% low paid workers. Colombia also has Free Trade Areas
mostly producing food where there is serious exploitation of the workers.
The US is also dumping low cost food in rural areas wrecking their own food
producers viability. When there was a massive protest the response was
violent with helicopters used to drop CS gas on the protesters.

From South Africa we were told how in 1996 after two years of freedom the
ANC back tracked on the Workers Charter which was the basis of the
Reconstruction and Development Programme which had been designed to
counteract the move towards the neo-liberal policies in other parts of
Africa. There was pressure from the World Bank and the IMF with Big Business
and a new Macro economic policy was ensconced without any negotiation with
the Trades Unions or even within the ANC, it was just presented to
parliament.

This has resulted in massive job losses and they have no welfare safety net.
It has specially effected women as the textile industry declined. There is
now 40% unemployment.

However there is some hope. The mobilisation by the unions, the churches and
students has prevented water privatisation and has stopped the development
of Industrial Development Zones where workers rights would have been less
than the national ones.

The meeting ended agreeing that we need to identify issues that unite us and
work to educate the next generation.