ICFTU + Solidar call WTO textile deal under NAMA a 'disaster'
19 Dec '05
2 min read
Non-governmental organization (NGO) SOLIDAR and The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) warned that under the latest draft of the proposed deal to be finalized at the WTO, the appearance of sectoral talks on textiles through the NAMA text annex will spell disaster for developing countries and workers.
Giampiero Alhadeff, the Secretary General of SOLIDAR commented that clearly the predicted 30 million jobs to be lost under the current textiles hemorrhage are not enough for WTO members.
Put on top of that the Swiss formula which already disadvantages developing countries and then add this latest proposal to start negotiating a sectoral initiative to reduce tariffs to zero and what you have is quite simply a disaster for the industry, a disaster for jobs and a disaster for some of the world's poorest countries.
Speaking on behalf of 145 million workers, Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the ICFTU said today:
This latest development is like to rubbing salt into a raw wound. Things for African countries are bad enough as it is. For example, since January 2005, Lesotho has lost 20,000 jobs.
In a small country with unemployment at 40 percent, and 34 percent of textiles workers affected by HIV, where a wage can make the difference between access to life-saving medicines or not, it is no exaggeration to call this a question of life and death. The WTO must not go down this path.
The ICFTU represents 145 million workers through its 234 affiliated organisations in 154 countries and territories.
SOLIDAR is an international alliance of social and economic justice non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in social policy, social service provision and life-long learning, development and humanitarian aid.
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