ACTU president Michele O’Neil has criticised Labor’s decision to support legislation to establish free trade agreements (FTAs) with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru. She says the trade deals breach Labor’s national policy platform. Unions’ concerns about the trade deals include the clauses regarding investor-state dispute settlement and labour market testing. The legislation was passed by the lower house yesterday and is expected to be passed by the Senate in November. From The AFR:
Labor leader Anthony Albanese urged the ACTU to consider the jobs bonanza that could flow, especially from the deal with Indonesia…
Unions argued the FTAs would facilitate the entry of foreign workers and leave the federal government prone to legal action from abroad via Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clauses…
