US-Australia free trade agreement reflects power imbalance
"The lousy deal for Australia is a reminder that our real interests lie with resumed multi-lateral negotiations,"
Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.
He was commenting on the US Australia free trade agreement announced today.
"WTO rules and processes need a lot of improvement but they still hold the prospect for a much fairer outcome than
one-sided bilaterals," Ross Wilson said.
"New Zealand should pursue multi-lateral negotiations for the same reason that workers pursue collective bargaining," he
said.
"Only by working collectively with other G20 countries can we hope to get a fair trade deal with countries like the
United States."
"Despite the huge sacrifices the Australian Government has made, the much vaunted FTA with the US reflects the gross
inequality of bargaining power."