The Workers Party has condemned the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) as another attempt by capital to increase its dominance worldwide. The existing NAFTA agreement, which clearly has been a disaster for Latin American countries and Canada and indeed for the working class in the USA, demonstrates the true nature of these sorts of agreements”. In a statement issued by the Central Executive Committee / Ard Comhairle the Party denounced the Irish and European Union authorities for the continued secrecy surrounding the ongoing negotiations between the EU and the United States on this deal. “It is an affront to the peoples of both continents” continued the statement “that this agreement is being negotiated behind closed doors with even elected MEPs not being allowed take copies of the documentation although they are permitted to see parts of it”.
Protesters against TTIP make their feelings known at a rally of Germany’s main opposition SPD party which has endorsed TTIP.
“It is very significant that this agreement, unlike previous trade agreements, is mainly about services, although goods are also involved. This means that all services, including Health, Education and Public Transport will be up for grabs. It will mean that these are likely to be taken over by major private sector entities who already are widely involved in the provision of these on a private-profit basis in the US”. “The immediate effect of any such agreement is that standards, whether in the provision of goods or services, will drop. It will result in the US insisting on Europe letting in foods which are genetically modified and processed in ways which up to now would be totally unacceptable in the EU, and will mean that food standards will be sacrificed to the massive corporate food producers, chemical, and agro-chemical companies like Monsanto” “In the services sector there will inevitably be a race to the bottom, as under the agreement, the cheapest provider will get the contracts, Trade Unions will be side-lined while workers’ wages and conditions will deteriorate massively” “Undoubtedly a most dangerous aspect of the TTIP is that the US is insisting that an Inter-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism: a system that allows companies sue national governments if they enact any laws, such as labour rights, health and safety or environmental protection, that could affect the profits of US corporations. These cases are not heard in national courts, but in secret tribunals. Susan George, the human rights activist, claimed at the Global Solidarity School in Belfast recently that the corporate sector has amassed a huge war chest to fight such cases”. “This has happened already in other countries. Veoila sued the Egyptian government for $1Bn. because it claimed its profits were reduced because of the minimum wage in that country. A Dutch health insurance company was awarded €30M against the Slovakian government because it reversed privatisation of the health services by a previous right wing government there. Other cases involve the government of El Salvador being sued by an international mining conglomerate for loss of potential profits because the government would not issue a mining licence”. “The government and monopolies have used, and continue to use, every device and subterfuge to deny the peoples of both continents information on the details of this agreement which is proposed to be signed in their name. This agreement will never be subject to the vote of the people. It is only due to the hard work and diligence of progressives that any information on this proposed agreement has been brought into the public domain.” “The Workers Party calls on all progressive forces, both in the EU and the USA, to work to highlight and defeat this proposal. We welcome the meeting held on Saturday in Dublin organised by TTIP Information Network in the offices of Unite the Union as a valuable first step in the Irish leg of this campaign.”