The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) is concerned that the Turnbull Government’s latest Trans Pacific trade deal will sacrifice Australian sovereignty, bringing us closer to having the status of a ‘Third-world economy’.
“No-one except the Government knows the detail of this latest version of the TPP and already Malcolm Turnbull is trying to pressure Labor and trade unions into accepting it as his latest ‘magic pudding’ for job creation,” said AMWU national president Andrew Dettmer.
Mr Dettmer said the AMWU was demanding Labor and the minor parties resist ratification of the latest version of the trade pact until the full text was made public.
“We are gravely concerned at the implications of the investor-state dispute settlement provisions which allow foreign corporations to sue the Australian Government. It is a direct attack on Australia’s sovereignty and we should never sign up to a deal that gives multinationals a stick to beat us with.”
Mr Dettmer said the 457 visa scheme had been a disaster and any further watering down of migration laws allowing additional foreign workers into Australia was not in our national interest.
“There was widespread rorting of the 457 scheme by employers and what was proposed in the original TPP would be a free-for-all, open slather for cheap labour to enter the country, heaping disaster on disaster.”
“Malcolm Turnbull needs to understand that Australian workers must come first and we won’t accept a regime that downgrades the local workforce,” Mr Dettmer said.
“We need well-paying, secure jobs for Australians, training opportunities for our young people and policies that support our own labour market.”
“These criticisms were being made about the previous TPP and it appears they have not been addressed at all.”
“Instead of pursuing a dubious trade pact, Malcolm Turnbull should be taking tangible steps to foster employment growth and training opportunities for young people, technical and further education and the development of advanced manufacturing.”
“We won’t accept a trade deal that compromises these key drivers of the Australian economy.”
Media contact John Hill 0412197079