Don’t derail BBM’s economic push — TUCP
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Sunday urged government and business leaders not to hamper the efforts by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as it seeks to strike a free trade deal with the European Union.
“The various economic managers and concerned Government agencies must be careful not to derail or unwittingly sabotage the President’s efforts to bring in more decent employment opportunities for our poor countrymen,” TUCP vice president Luis Corral said in a statement.
During a gala dinner with the EU-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Council and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Marcos called for a resumption of the FTA between the country and the EU, after having no developments for the past six years.
Previously, the Philippines and the EU conducted exploratory talks in 2013, and eventual negotiations in 2016 and 2017 and Corral said that the proposed deal will be a win-win for workers and employers for both nations.
“The TUCP likewise believes that these trade privileges and future bilateral agreement tied to progressive compliance with the free exercise of labor rights, sustainable development, climate change energy transition, and the Indo-Pacific strategy of the European Union will also be a huge ‘win-win’ opportunity for both workers and employers,” Corral said.
This year also marks a bid for the country to renew its “Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus” or GSP+ to the EU. Gaining this status, the Philippines could experience a tariff reduction to zero percent ‘for vulnerable low- and lower-middle income countries that implement 27 international conventions related to labor and human rights, environmental and climate protection, and good governance.”
TUCP also hopes that the country would further uphold all eight core conventions of the International Labor Organization and another two conventions on occupational safety and health.