12th November 2001

Convergence Around Labour Rights

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SOLIDAR

In spite of slow progress on most issues on the table at the Doha Ministerial meeting, there is a growing consensus on labour rights. On the day that the G-77 have agreed to the establishment of the ILO’s World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation, the EU has proposed a compromise text to the Draft Declaration, to win the support of developing countries.

The EU proposal

· reaffirms WTO commitment to labour standards made in Singapore in 1996
· supports the ILO’s Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation
· commits the WTO to working effectively with the ILO on social development

Amendments containing the key elements of the above text have received support from the ICFTU and NGOs such as SOLIDAR, Oxfam and the Quakers International. A growing number of developing countries are also ready to back a form of words which reinforces the coherence between the ILO and the WTO. Amongst these the Caribbean countries and South Africa have indicated their support.

Speaking from Doha, Rodney Bickerstaffe, leader of the SOLIDAR Global Network Delegation said.” We are opposed to sanctions on labour rights at the WTO. What we want is for the WTO to be able to collaborate with the ILO. We live in a complicated world and we face complicated problems. This is ever more true since September 11th. A global world needs global and coherent action.”

Members of the SOLIDAR Delegation: Languages
Rodney Bickerstaffe (Leader of SOLIDAR Delegation)
Giampiero Alhadeff (SOLIDAR Secretary General, President of Platform of Social NGOs) En/ Span, Italian, Fr
Genevra Forwood (SOLIDAR)
Juan Carlos Vargas (PLADES - Peru) Spanish/English
Josua Mata Alliance of Progressive Labor - Philippines) Tagalo/English
Rob Cartridge (War on Want - UK)
Merjia Leskinen (TSL - Finland) Finnish
Louise Richards (UNISON - UK)
Dave Anderson (UNISON - UK)
Kamal Abbas (CTUWS - Egypt) Arabic
Diana Smith (European Public Health Alliance)
Glenys Kinnock (Member of European Parliament - SOLIDAR Honorary Member)