Re: Sid Schniad on China and the WTO

[phillp2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Louis wrote:
>
> The following excerpt from the ICFTU's 1999 Annual survey of violations of
> trade union rights reveals, for those who are not already aware of the
> fact, that the U.S. has some of the most barbaric labour practices in the
> industrialized world. The inclination of American WTO opponents to point a
> self-righteous finger at China on the issue of labour rights boggles the
> mind.
>
I was at a Christmas gathering of most of the major local labour
officials, labour lawyers, and some prominent NDP government
ministers this evening and in one small group we began discussing
"what is to be done" in the post-Seattle movement.  (Some of the
people in the group had actually been in Seattle.)  I raised the 'anti-
China' campaign and, even those who had been in Seattle,
appeared surprised, not having heard of it.  My own feeling is
something like Michael's -- we would be doing China and its
workers a great favour by rejecting its bid to join the WTO.  But
from Canada's best interest, I think we should first introduce a
labour accord that has at its minimum, basic union rights.  Chinese
capital might then not chose to join.  But more importantly,
Canadian workers could be protected almost completely from
American competition by pointing to the US record on labour and
civil rights.  Sounds like a good idea to me ;-)

Paul Phillips,
Economics,
University of Manitoba