International financial crisis and the WTO

AMERICAS: In a joint statement released on October 7, trade unions from the Americas demand that their governments and trade negotiators engaged in the World Trade Organization's Doha Round of negotiations focus on sustainable development and fair and equitable trade, should the collapsed talks be resumed.

The statement was made in response to the current international financial crisis, which the unions argue, "dramatically confirms that the deregulation and economy financiarization-based policy leads us nowhere but to failure."

The statement was jointly signed by the leaders of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA-CSA), national trade union centres in North and South America, and includes regional representatives of several Global Union Federations, including the International Metalworkers' Federation.

The unions also call on trade negotiators to fulfil the International Labour Organisation's Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, which calls upon all international and regional organizations to promote decent work, "as trade and financial market policy both affect employment."

In a series of joint statements on the WTO negotiations in recent years, unions have warned about the potential risks to employment, labour rights and sustainable development posed by the current proposals on industrial, agricultural and service liberalization.

A full copy of the statement in English and Spanish can be seen on the IMF website.