Britain’s hopes for a favorable post-Brexit trade deal with the United States risk being undermined by the government’s lack of commitment to workers’ rights, unions have warned.
As the second round of talks between the United States and the United Kingdom begins this week, union leaders on both sides said Washington would push for a “workers’ approach to trade” to help unlock the deal.
Accusing the government of Boris Johnson of failing to understand the importance of labor rights, the TUC and AFL-CIO, the largest trade union federations in the United Kingdom and the United States, said an urgent change in tactics was needed.
This comes as ministers push for new ties around the world after leaving the EU, with the US trade deal seen as a reward for the government as it tries to demonstrate the benefits of Brexit.
Following the opening of a dialogue on the future of Atlantic trade last month in Baltimore, talks resumed this week in Aberdeen and London between UK Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Catherine Ty, the US Trade Representative.
In the first round of meetings, Trevelyan promised to “strengthen the protection of labor rights and the environment” and “deal with forced labor worldwide.”
However, union leaders in the United States and the United Kingdom have said that the British government has too often intervened in deals with unpleasant regimes that do not respect basic human and labor rights.
The government has promised a role for union representatives in powerful post-Brexit trade advisory groups consulted during the talks. However, the TUC warned that his nominees for the posts have not yet been confirmed by ministers, meaning unions have no place at the table.
In a joint statement, the two groups, representing more than 17 million workers, called on US and UK governments to work together to protect employment standards.
Francis O’Grady, secretary general of the TUC, said the UK government had rushed into post-Brexit talks with countries that “willingly abuse basic human and labor rights” such as Colombia and Turkey.
“Trade deals can raise labor standards, promote decent work and reduce inequality around the world. But the UK government has negotiated too many deals that put workers at a disadvantage, “she said.
“Enough is enough. It’s time for a truly workers-oriented trade approach. That means meaningfully consulting with unions and acting on our concerns. Only then will the US government be likely to consider closer trade ties with the UK.
Eric Gottwald, trade policy specialist at AFL-CIO, said: “For too long, the votes of working people have been excluded from trade negotiations or discussions. We need the TUC and its unions at the table to form a fair agreement that raises wages and standards on both sides of the Atlantic.
The groups said that under the Biden administration, the United States has increasingly included protecting workers’ rights in trade negotiations in recent years, including the latest agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Leaders said that as a result of the unions ‘involvement in the USMCA negotiations, the agreement contained “one of the strongest labor rights chapters ever agreed upon”, with the possibility of imposing sanctions on companies that abuse workers’ rights.
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A spokesman for the Department of International Trade said: “The unions attended the first UK-US trade dialogue in Baltimore last month, and tomorrow the TUC Secretary General will speak at the plenary session of the second dialogue hosted in Aberdeen.
“The United Kingdom has a strong trade relationship with the United States worth more than £ 200 billion a year, and through our joint trade dialogues we can deliver a broader and even more ambitious trade agenda.
“We are committed to listening to trade unions and a wide range of voices to ensure that our trade policy benefits the whole of the United Kingdom.
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