The MUA expresses grave concerns over the Liberal/National Parties and ALP opposition’s support for the the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) and calls on its members, the broader labour movement and the community to oppose the adoption of the trade deal.
The TPP is a trade deal that favours multi-national capital. Corporations are seeking unfettered access to Australian government contracts and are rallying against protections for workers and are fighting against local jobs.
Free trade deals such as the TPP-11 are the result of the globalisation of production and reflect the desire of huge corporate powers to spread their influence and profit making excesses across the planet into new markets at the expense of the local working people and businesses.
Basic needs of the people are being challenged as corporate manipulation of trade will see changes to patenting laws that will jeopardise the ability of companies to produce cheaper generic medicines. The big drug companies will have the ability to alter patent laws and processes, increasing their monopoly control over health care essentials for the community.
There are massive threats to workers rights with scope for company projects to import cheaper and highly exploited labour, with no labour market testing, undermining hard fought for wages and conditions of Australian workers. This just creates a race to the bottom for working people and community standards.
These trade deals are negotiated in secret and at the table you will find government ministers and the leaders of the corporate world.
These same corporations will now have the ability to sue a state or federal government for adopting legal and democratically formulated policies in Australian parliaments. This is a blatant sell out to corporate interests over Australian sovereignty.
TPP-11 is bad because:
