IMPACT and other trade unions have vowed to continue their campaign of opposition to international trade agreements that put workers’ rights and public services at risk. Speaking after the EU and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) last week, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said the “undemocratic deal” would put investors before citizens.

The next phase of the union campaign will focus on Irish TDs and senators because the CETA accord must now be adopted by every EU national parliament before it can become permanent. The signing of the accord last week only puts it in place on a provisional basis.

ICTU’s international development officer David Joyce said: “This anti-democratic deal privileges investors over EU citizens and will open up key public services to privatisation. It could also harm labour standards and protections across the European Union.”

He said unions would continue to oppose the deal, which would see the creation of a special system of secretive courts where investors could sue governments if they believe official policy would harm their profits. “This would give corporations huge power over policy formation. This is fundamentally anti-democratic and must not be allowed to proceed unchallenged,” he said.

ICTU has called on the Irish Government to facilitate a full debate on CETA and other proposed deals like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). “Last month the Seanad passed a motion calling on the Government not to agree to the provisional application of CETA, which they appear to have ignored," said Joyce.

Read our TTIP explainer here.

Read IMPACT’s submission on TTIP and related trade talks here.