JAITLEY HOLDS CONSULTATIONS WITH TRADE
UNIONS ON WTO ISSUES
Initiating the process of wide ranging
consultations with political parties and trade unions in the run-up
to the 5th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) scheduled to be held next month in Mexico (Cancun), Shri
Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Law
& Justice, had a meeting with trade union representatives
here last evening. Those who attended were: S/Shri Girish Awasthi,
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh; Chandi Das Sinha, Indian National Trade
Union Congress; P.K. Ganguli, Centre for Indian Trade Unions;
R.A. Mittal, Hind Mazdoor Sabha; J. Chitranjan, All India Trade
Union Congress; Krishna Chakraborty, United Trade Union Centre
(LS); Abani Roy, MP. representing the United Trade Union Congress;
O. P. Verma, National Front of India Trade Unions; and G. Devrajan,
Trade Union Coordination Centre. Shri S. B. Mukherjee, Minister
of State for Commerce & Industry and Shri Dipak Chatterjee,
Commerce Secretary, were also present at the meeting along with
other senior officials.
Shri Jaitley assured the trade unions that the views expressed
by them would weigh very substantially with the government in
formulating its negotiating positions and stressed that national
interest would be of paramount importance for India in all the
key areas of negotiations.
The Minister gave an overview of the state of play in the ongoing
negotiations in the WTO in the context of India's concerns and
priorities especially in the key areas of agriculture; agricultural
and non-agricultural market access; TRIPs and Public Health; services
and implementation issues. He also explained to them India's approach
on the four Singapore issues, including investment. On non agricultural
market access or industrial goods - a subject of direct interest
to the trade unions - Shri Jaitley mentioned India's interest
in differential measures for tariff reduction between developed
and developing countries on the basis of less than full reciprocity.
The trade union representatives emphasised the need to protect
agriculture and industry especially plantations and textiles from
the adverse impact of import liberalisation through retention
of quantitative restrictions (QRs), wherever required. They urged
caution on Singapore issues and said that India should mobilise
other developing countries in order to resist pressure from the
developed country members in the negotiations. They also underlined
that the WTO process must be transparent and democratic so as
to ensure a fair and equitable global trading system.
