Justice

Union Leaders Quit Clinton Panel Over China Deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - To protest a key pact with China, AFL-CIO labor federation President John Sweeney and two other union leaders resigned from a White House panel that advises President Clinton on trade policy, the group said on Friday.

WTO Chief Defends Globalisation

BBC News The head of the World Trade Organisation, Mike Moore, has defended the global trading system, saying it should benefit the interests of all countries regardless of their wealth. "We must make this system better and fairer for the poor as well as for the rich," he told the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Trade Talks Must Address Labor Issues - U.S. Official

BRASILIA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley said on Monday the United States is not trying to impose labor and environmental standards on the developing world, but those concerns need to be addressed in trade talks.

Easing of Hard-Line Attitudes on China Trade

UTICA, N.Y. (Reuters/Zogby) - The number of Americans favoring a better record of human rights and religious freedom prior to admitting China to the global trade system has dropped by over 10 percentage points in the three months since similar research was conducted by Zogby International.

WTO Chief Urges Rich Nations to Help the Poor

By Robert Evans BANGKOK, Feb 13 (Reuters) - World Trade Organisation chief Mike Moore suggested on Sunday the big powers should agree to open their markets wide to goods from the poorest if they wanted to win backing for a new round of global trade talks.

"Anti-Davos" Wants Free Trade Gains for Poor

By Chris Johnson BANGKOK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A global summit in Bangkok this week will try to help the poor take advantage of the spread of free trade that some developing countries fear only benefits the rich, officials said on Friday.

When Race and Free Trade Collide

Manning Marable, AlterNet

Sweeney Calls for WTO Reforms; Democrats Address UAW Conference

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney Feb. 8 warned a congressional trade panel that the protests at the World Trade Organization's Seattle meetings will be just the tip of the iceberg if global trade practices are not adjusted to address the needs and concerns of working families.

Lawmakers Are Warned to Back China Trade or Lose Contributions

The Wall Street Journal / By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS WASHINGTON -- Top business executives are issuing a blunt warning to federal lawmakers: Vote against the trade deal with China, and we will hold it against you when writing campaign checks.

Arrogance and Bad Advocacy Rule in Davos and Beyond

Financial Mail (South Africa) Ethel Hazelhurst, Davos WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM Developing nations caught in crossfire of globalisation war