9th+Congress,+Socio-Economic,+7+of+11,+Trade+policy

Draft Adopted Resolutions of the 9th COSATU National Congress

 * (For advance study purposes only. Wait for the printed edition, or refer to the official [|COSATU web site]for the authoritative version)**

Socio-Economic Resolutions, 7 of 11
=3.7 Trade policy:=


 * Noting:**

1. The Doha Development Round at the WTO is currently suspended because powerful, developed countries are operating as a bloc to secure markets in the developing countries while denying developing countries the policy instruments needed to enhance their productivity and profitability. At the same time, they continue to subsidise agriculture and as a consequence block access into their agricultural markets.

2. The tariff cuts proposed in the negotiations on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) pose a devastating threat to quality employment and to the existence of a manufacturing base in developing countries.

3. The recent positions taken by South Africa in the negotiations and in the alliance-building between the countries of the South in the WTO. COSATU takes this opportunity to welcome the more proactive positions taken by our government.


 * Believing:**

1. Developing countries must unite to develop a programme to protect their markets against the WTO bullies.

2. Our engagement in trade-related matters must

> a. seek to meet the needs of our members and the millions of other working and unemployed people in this country and > b. support effective and democratically agreed-policies to support the appropriate development of the South African economy.


 * Resolve:**

1. On NAMA (Non-Agricultural Market Access), our government:

> a. should ensure that while WTO talks are suspended, developing countries should not be coerced into entering bilateral agreements with rich countries. Further government must not get drawn into accepting any kind of compromise multilateral 'formulas' for the reduction of industrial and other tariffs proposed under this agreement, with the already-evident negative effects of such liberalisation against local industry and jobs;. > b. must instead defend the imperative necessity to preserve its own internal policy-making rights and the policy flexibility required to support its own emerging and future industrial development and diversification strategies, and. > c. must support COSATU's demand that the offensive thrust of NAMA be definitively blocked altogether.

2. On GATS (the General Agreement on Trade in Services), our government must:

> a. secure the essential role of national services for current and future national development and diversification strategies; > b. not make any offers to open up any public service to foreign commercial or privatised “service providers” or companies, either on a bilateral or plurilateral basis; > c. assert its inalienable right to amend or withdraw any offers already made under GATS; > d. support COSATU's demand, in alliance with other trade union partners and social movements, that GATS to be stopped altogether.

3. On the WTO's agreement on agriculture, our government must:

> a. stand firm and not compromise on the unacceptable agricultural export and production subsidies in the highly industrialised countries, which harm agricultural producers in South Africa and other countries of the South; > b. join other developing countries demanding their right to protect their own key products and vulnerable small agricultural producers, especially in the context of the urgent necessity to redistribute land and support small and emerging farmers and rural communities in this country; > c. protect its right to develop and implement agricultural and related policies as agreed with stakeholders in this country.

4. It is critical that our government does not accept as inevitable that the Doha Round will - or must – resume. Instead, it should use the current suspension of talks to engage in wide-ranging investigation and consultation with organised labour and other social forces in this country to prepare an alternative and appropriate national development and international strategy appropriate for the needs of this country.

5. On other international, bilateral or regional trade negotiations, the government must.

> a. defend its right to maintain external tariff, quotas or other trade instruments that are judged necessary for the defence of jobs and the promotion of industrial development and diversification in this country; > b. not accept the infiltration into any such agreements of any WTO or WTO+ terms - such as financial liberalisation, the opening up of government procurement and other proposals - that have been resisted and already rejected in the WTO, and that are hostile to the interests of the people and future development of this country.

6. We urge the government to support the continued unity and resistance of the various alliances of developing countries in the face of the divisive pressure tactics by the WTO and its supporters.

7. COSATU must immediately embark on an education campaign on the WTO, NAMA and GATS for the workers.

8. Shopstewards must engage their employers to support the unions on NAMA and the implications thereof, as a fuirst step we should initiate a national petition.

9. COSATU must spearhead a global campaign on international trade agreements.

10. Negotiation processes should be driven at a political level by the Minister.

11. The quota agreement between South Africa and China should be extended to other sensitive and labour intensive sectors prone to dumping for example the tyre industry and electronics.

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