TPPA: a missed opportunity to value working people

Tomorrow’s signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is a missed opportunity to value the contribution of working people, not just in New Zealand but in all the countries who sign on.

CTU Policy Director and Economist Bill Rosenberg is deeply worried about what the impact will be for working people in New Zealand. “History tells us that when corporations are given more power this impacts badly on working people. More power for big business means less power for those doing the work,”

“New Zealand is already struggling with too many people struggling to make a decent living and a society which is out of balance. The TPPA will only make our society more unbalanced.”

“Thousands of people from all walks of life have participated in numerous ways get the message through to the National Government; that Kiwis don’t want this deal. But the Government has had its ear plugs in firmly and has turned its back on the principals of democracy.”

“It didn’t have to be this way. We are not against trade that is fair. But the TPPA goes far beyond that, deepening the imbalances in our society. There is much that can and should be done internationally to ensure that working people are valued more – but instead this agreement ensures that those that have power and money will have more power and money and those who don’t will even have less,” Rosenberg said.

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