Jesse Jackson to press ASEAN over labor rights<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (AFP): U.S. civil rights activist Reverend Jesse
\nJackson arrived here yesterday to make his case for a
\ncontroversial trade-labor linkage with ASEAN foreign ministers
\nmeeting here this weekend.<\/p>\n
Jackson, complaining that jobs were being lost in the United
\nStates because of competition from products made in Asia, said he
\nwould lobby for uniform global labor rights during his stay in
\nthe Indonesian capital.<\/p>\n
\"The matter of minimum wage and child labor, gender equality
\nand health standards and an equal relationship between the
\nproducing and manufacturing nations and the consuming nations --
\nthese are the great issues of our time,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"We are anxious to be part of the dialogue,\" said Jackson, who
\nis leading a delegation sponsored by the Rainbow Coalition, a
\ncivil rights group.<\/p>\n
Jackson flew here from Japan a day before foreign ministers of
\nthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) begin a two-
\nday meeting.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, opposes any linkage
\nbetween trade and labor rights.<\/p>\n
Some developed nations argue that cheap labor gives developing
\ncountries an unfair advantage in trade and want the issue
\naddressed by the World Trade Organization (WTO).<\/p>\n
They say uniform labor standards would prevent the
\nexploitation of such workers as children and prisoners.<\/p>\n
Developing nations, however, see the proposed linkage between
\ntrade and labor rights as a bid to rob them of their competitive
\nadvantage.<\/p>\n
\"There must be some compatibility between workers so that we
\ncan have as much of an even playing field as possible, so that we
\ncan all grow together,\" Jackson said.<\/p>\n
\"The present formula of 'products in, jobs out' creates
\ntremendous imbalance,\" he said, adding that standards should be
\napplied to \"lift the lot of workers in the Pacific Rim without
\nlowering our (USA) own living standards.\"<\/p>\n
He said U.S. corporations were downsizing their workforces
\nwhile outsourcing manufacturing to lower-cost locations such as
\nIndonesia, creating tremendous social tensions in America, where
\n\"people fight more and more over less and less.\"<\/p>\n
\"The Olympics start in Atlanta this week and our corporations
\nare getting the credit for subsidizing the Olympics. In reality
\nthe workers in Indonesia, the workers in the Pacific-Rim are
\nsubsidizing the Olympics,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Every Olympian who will be wearing products, will be using
\nproducts made in this region,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Jackson said he would examine labor conditions at plants here
\nrun by U.S. and Indonesian corporations exporting products to the
\nU.S.<\/p>\n
\"We want to visit Nike and Reebok and Wal-Mart, and the
\nAmerican chambers of commerce here. We want to actally see how
\nthe products are made that we purchase in America,\" he said.<\/p>\n
An aide to Jackson said the reverend would meet as many
\nofficials of ASEAN as possible during his visit.<\/p>\n
Jackson toured a Reebok facility and spoke with management
\npersonnel and workers Friday afternoon.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jesse-jackson-to-press-asean-over-labor-rights-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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