ASEAN resists labor rights link to trade
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed strong opposition yesterday to the move by some developed countries to link international labor standards with trade agreements.
Labor ministers of ASEAN nations stated at the end of a two-day meeting in Singapore that they are not opposed to the application of labor standards and are committed to improving the economic and social well-being of workers.
However, they expressed concern about the rigid imposition of labor standards and the use of strict standards to stifle free trade and economic development which constitutes a new form of protectionism, the ministers said in a joint communique.
The communique, a copy of which was released by the ASEAN Secretariat here, urged the International Labor Organization (ILO) to strongly resist any attempt to introduce new conditions that link social clauses and ILO labor standards with market accessibility.
"The move to link labor standards with trade smacks of attempts to undermine the economic growth of developing countries," contended Indonesia's Labor Minister Abdul Latief.
Latief was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying yesterday that the six ASEAN countries adopted a firm common stance on that issue and saw it as a new form of trade protectionism.
The American government gave Indonesia until August to improve workers' rights as a condition to its continued access to the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences trade privileges.
The labor ministers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines also expressed their concern that some international trade secretariats are using local trade unions as their proxies to force compliance with ILO labor standards.
"Such attempts would undermine the competitiveness of developing countries and erode their comparative advantage, thereby hurting their economies," the ministers pointed out.
Argument
They argued that poor economic conditions in the developing countries would weaken the purchasing power of their populations and this in turn would adversely affect the economies of the developed world.
The ministers are of the view that given their differing levels of economic development, developing countries should not be pressured into complying with standards based mainly on those in developed countries.
They called on the ILO to review outdated labor standards as a follow-up to the ILO Director-General report, taking into account the special circumstances and peculiarities of the developing countries, and be more flexible in implementing labor standards.
"ILO should give due regard to the overall progress of the social and economic conditions of member states in its assessment of their compliance with ratified ILO conventions," the communique added.
At the meeting, which was opened by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the labor ministers also agreed to support the Philippines candidacy as the ASEAN bid for the chairmanship of the ILO Governing Body for the 1994-1995 term.
They reemphasized the importance of creating a climate of industrial peace and harmony to achieving economic growth in an increasingly competitive international environment. (vin)