CPSU-SPSF Federal Office
10 signatures reached
To: Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham
Australia-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement is a bad deal for workers and our community
We call on the Morrison government to not introduce the enabling legislation to ratify the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
The text of the free trade agreement has finally been released to the public after the deal was signed on 4 March, and we now know that it contains provisions that will be harmful to workers and undermine national sovereignty, including:
* Special rights for foreign corporations to sue governments for millions of dollars if they believe a change in law or public policy will harm their investment;
* Inadequate protection of public services and promoting the privatisation of Indonesia’s public services, with Australian corporations able to now own up to two-thirds of hospitals, aged care facilities, and infrastructure;
* No commitments to implement basic labour rights standards;
* Increase of temporary migrant workers, who are highly vulnerable to exploitation. Unlike permanent migrant workers, who have the same rights as other workers, temporary migrants are tied to one employer and can be deported if they lose their jobs;
* No commitments to implement environmental standards.
We demand the Morrison government immediately stop the process of ratifying this agreement.
Why is this important?
There is no evidence this trade deal will benefit workers in Australia or Indonesia - it simply gives more power to corporations. This deal has been negotiated in secret with no public consultation, and no assessment of the economic, health, environmental or human rights impacts.
We demand the Morrison government immediately stop the process of ratifying this agreement, and commence a thorough assessment of the impacts of this agreement, consult with the public, and renegotiate the agreement accordingly.