Cosatu+to+protest+state+of+global+trade+talks+with+strike

Business Day, Johannesburg, 21 April 2006
=Cosatu to protest state of global trade talks with strike=


 * Vukani Mde, Political Correspondent**

THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) will embark on a nationwide strike early next month in protest against the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) nonagricultural market access (Nama) discussions in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is feared that the latest round of WTO trade talks are heading for a stalemate.

Cosatu announced its decision in Johannesburg yesterday, following a meeting with other nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) opposed to the access proposals. It said the manufacturing sector unions would be part of the May 9 strike.

Under the proposals, developing countries will be required to cut import tariffs on nonagricultural manufactured goods in exchange for increased access to the agricultural markets of developed countries and a gradual phasing out of subsidies for farmers in developed countries.

Developing countries and trade activists blame farm subsidies for blocking access to rich countries’ markets, saying this distorts world trade.

“The NGOs, which form part of our trade strategy group, pledged their support for next month’s action. We have already written a joint letter to the Nama 11 (the group of countries opposing the proposals) in support of their developmental stance at the trade talks,” said Tanya van Meelis, Cosatu’s trade and industry policy co-ordinator.

The Nama 11, including SA, India and other key developing economies, maintain that the WTO proposals will destroy their manufacturing sectors and lead to job losses in these sectors.

Van Meelis said Cosatu and its international allies would not back down because of the anticipated failure of the proposals. “If the developed countries do back down from their demands, obviously that will be a great victory for us.”

She said the campaign would go global next week by targeting a meeting of WTO trade ministers. It is anticipated that WTO director-general Pascal Lamy will use the smaller gathering next week to push for an agreement on nonagricultural market access.

Trade analysts and negotiators said no agreement was likely to be reached at the organisation’s main talks today. “The assessment is that it is not looking positive,” SA’s chief negotiator, Xavier Carim, said last week.

South African Institute of International Relations economist Phil Alves said likely failure in Geneva would lead to the “total collapse” of the Doha Round of WTO trade talks.


 * From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/national.aspx?ID=BD4A188691**

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