Unions ignored in UK/Australia free-trade-agreement negotiations

On 15 June 2021, the UK and Australian governments announced they had reached a free trade agreement (FTA) “in principle”. It had been negotiated behind closed doors for nearly a year. Trade unions were not consulted about the text of the agreement and its impact on workers. There were fears that the terms of the FTA would undermine workers’ rights and further sideline trade unions.
The unions of both countries had made clear their position at the start of the process, with the UK’s Trades Unions Congress (TUC) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) releasing a joint statement in September 2020 outlining the expectations of workers in both countries.
Information available about the negotiations, however, indicated that the FTA failed to meet the goals set out by the unions at the start of negotiations.
The ACTU and TUC called on the Australian and UK governments to immediately engage with trade unions to address their concerns, including, notably, fears that the UK-Australia trade deal may include investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), which gives multinational corporations special rights to sue governments over actions that threaten their profits, which could including renationalising public services or introducing new workers’ rights. The two national union centres also fear that the agreement may not contain measures to adequately enforce and protect labour rights.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady stated: “Trade deals can have a significant impact on workers’ jobs and rights, which is why it’s so important unions are involved in discussions”, adding that “this looks like it will be yet another UK trade deal with no enforceable labour standards, which could lead to a race to the bottom on workers’ rights. That is unacceptable.”
The deal had not been finalised by the end of October 2021.