Regional ‘common market’ in Asia will only serve U.S. economic interests

Militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said that ASEAN's thrust to forge a common market through trade and investment integration will only favor the ''superpower economies'' of U.S., Japan and European Union.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PCCI) President Donald Dee recently declared that the upcoming ASEAN Business and Investment Summit will focus more on trade integration. Private business sector composing the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC) will hold the Business and Investment Summit as an integral part of the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu.

''The regionalized integration of 11 major industries common among ASEAN member countries will eventually fulfill the U.S. government's long-term plan to maximize and exploit the resources, labor resource and markets in Asian countries. The U.S. already advanced a step with the signing of the US-ASEAN Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) last September. TIFA is aimed at developing closer trade and investment relations either thru bilateral or regional trade agreements with Asian countries. In particular, the Bush government is pressing the formation of a region-wide Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific,'' said KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog.

ASEAN targets the integration of agro-based products, air travel and air transport, automotive products, software and hardware electronics, fisheries, health care, rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, tourism and wood based products.

KMU also accused Dee of perpetually misrepresenting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). “We know Dee’s track record as an inveterate adversary of workers’ cause. Ever since his days ECOP, PCCI and now as a member of the ASEAN BAC, he is promoting low wages, flexible labor and other unfair measures in the name of bigger business profits,”

“SMEs are always the first to suffer the implications of unfair trade agreements. In the local labor sector, both Asian and other foreign investors take full advantage of the country’s cheap labor and repressive policies. The rate of exploitation is extremely high in Export processing zones,” Labog said.

The labor group is set to participate in the International Jobs and Justice Conference on December 7-10 in Cebu City coinciding with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council’s Business and Investment Summit.

The Jobs and Justice Conference of labor organizations, non-governmental organizations and workers’ groups will current trends in neoliberal labor market restructuring in the various global regions and share their experiences in organizing and struggle.

The Conference is co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Research Network (APRN), Asia Monitor Resource Center (AMRC), Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and Action, Research and Education Network of Aotearoa (ARENA).

The Asia-Pacific Workers Solidarity Links (APWSL)-Philippines and the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) shall serve as local host organizations.