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Issue No. 124 | 15 February 2002 |
Chickens Come Home
Unions: Winning the Heartland Interview: Swan's Song Corporate: Lessons from Enron Politics: What We Did Last Summer History: Solidarity in Song International: A Tale of Two Cities Poetry: Nobody Told Me Review: Labor and the Rings Satire: Rafter Named Bermudan Of The Year For Tax Purposes
Unions' Commit to Battle for Hearts Carr on Notice - Expectations Up Mad Monk Sides With Angels � Briefly Maritime Union Acts on Spy Scandal May Day Play-Off for Workers' Anthem Burmese Links Shroud Winter Olympics New Phone Venture One.Tel In Drag Two Million Face Rights Downgrade Enron Collapse Hits Share-Owner Agenda Corrrigan Snaps Up Rail Bargain Kinko Clowns With Workers' Rights Telstra's Tragic Delays Of Its Own Making Burrow Puts Case to World Economic Forum Shangri La Protests Hit Melbourne
The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review
'International Labour's Year in Review' - A Re-View Belly's Broad-Side Collins Gets Cryptic
Labor Council of NSW |
News Burrow Puts Case to World Economic Forum
ACTU president Sharran Burrow said unions had made it clear they would not embrace globalisation while governments continued to duck responsibilities for human rights and labour standards. "By once again marginalising labour and civil society and opting for free trade without rules to protect people, the WTO has chosen not to construct a fair trading system," Burrow said. "Why is it that governments continue to deny their responsibility for the peoples who elected them?" Burrow said unions were insisting that the building of a 21st century economic system go hand-in-hand with establishing globally accepted rules to protect people. The growing debate was brought into sharp focus by the contributions of WTO director general, Mike Moore, and Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. Observers were surprised by the stark choice laid before delegates in the director's forum summary. Moore told WTO members they "must" engage with unions and civil society and branded opposition to closer relationships with social agencies such as the International Labour Organisation and World Health Organisation "infantile". The former New Zealand Trade Minister told delegates that union and social organisations should participate in WTO forums with a view to developing a shared understanding. Howard, on the other hand, ignored the plight of the poor, the unemployed and the displaced in his contribution. His central analysis was that globalisation had an image problem because political leaders had failed to sell the benefits. An embarrassed Burrow said international union representatives at the forum had been "shocked" by the narrow analysis of the Australian Prime Minister.
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