Making trade benefit workers

Decent Work in global supply or value chains (GVC) is a key element when discussing how to make trade benefit all. Because the asymmetric power relationship in GVC leads to downward pressure on wages and working conditions, many countries see workers’ rights being neglected. Moreover, social clauses in trade agreements have so far had little impact on the enforcement of the ILO Core Labour Standards.

How can we address the challenges triggered by trade to create a virtuous circle generating benefits for all, including workers?

The working session “Making trade benefit workers” hosted by FES at the WTO Public Forum 2017 in Geneva (link in English) aims at tackling this question.  

As speakers, we are very pleased to announce:

• Do Quynh Chi, Director, Research Center for Employment Relations in Vietnam
• Henner Gött, Research Fellow and PhD Candidate, University of Göttingen
• Paolo Garzotti, Deputy Permanent Representative of the EU to the WTO
• Georgios Altintzis, Trade Policy Officer, International Trade Union Confederation

The session is part of the regional project Core Labour Standards Plus (CLS+), a project launched by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Asia in 2016 that aims to promote and develop binding labour and social standards in trade agreements and preference systems.

Follow us online #CLSplus #FESAsia.

For more information on the regional project Core Labour Standards Plus, read the project's brochure or contact Veronica Nilsson, programme manager at the FES Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia.