So, will there be open borders for skilled labour or not?
Last night on Newsnight we asked UK trade minister Gareth Thomas a question: what are the UK and the EU giving away on our behalf to gain the various concessions that are happening at the WTO trade talks in Geneva? Twice.
Specifically what we wanted to find out was whether the "free temporary movement" of skilled labour from all 153 member countries into the EU is on the table. This is known as "Mode 4" and is the obsession of a small but determined band of trade experts, from both the political left and right, who have been bending my ear about the lack of coverage of this issue....
Among others, the Indian government is very keen on this; the Indian government is also seen as crucial to the success or failure of the Doha talks and likely to want to see movement on Mode 4 signalled this week. As I have pointed out on Idle Scrawl, its strongest supporter in Europe is the UK government.
Despite this, the UK trade minister did not address the question "are we likely to see more Indian accountants and Chinese IT professionals working in Britain on temporary visas"? So if anybody else can throw light on it, please hit the comment button.
In 2005, as part of the parallel GATS talks, Peter Mandelson made this offer on the EU's behalf. You can - if you can bear to wade through the deletions and additions - . There's a here from the Development Research Centre at Sussex University. See also this blog of the issues.
Basically, although we've heard a lot of complaints about "brain drain" of skilled workers from developing countries, there is also a payback in terms of remittances and rising wealth. Advocates of globalising the labour market through Mode 4 claim it could add $300bn to world GDP - dwarfing the impact of aid and foreign direct investment.
However, opponents of Mode 4 point to the possibility of a developed world backlash if this is done without transparency, or without consideration of its impact on the domestic population of developed countries. Having covered numerous elections in the English Midlands, and seen the scale of resentment over the impact of recent migration on resources and wages for low-income people, I would say the potential for such a backlash is real.
Which is why we are trying to get a straight answer from the politicians: are you preparing to offer the "free temporary movement of skilled labour" as a concession in the Geneva talks in order to open developing world markets to EU service companies?
If the answer is yes, Newsnight would certainly like to debate the issue and I would imagine so would large parts of the UK population.
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Jul 2008, bookhimdano wrote:do Govt ministers think we do not notice when they do not answer a question? Gordon is not a very good boss if he lets this sort of practice go on. he deserves to lose the next election if he keeps choosing 'ministers' who think the public is the 'enemy'.
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Jul 2008, threnodio wrote:Thomas' brief last night was clearly to talk as much as he could and say as little as possible. Nothing unusual about that but, in this case, I doubt very much if he knows the answer. We were told of a significant offer tabled by the Americans but we were not told what it was. It was, as he said, only day one. Everyone will play their cards as close to their chest as they can until the last moment and only play them in order to avoid ending up with egg all over their faces.
You know as well as anyone the intricacies of these things and that the devil is in the detail. Doubtless the minister has officials and advisers who have a handle on the detail but he came over as simply not having a clue.
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Comment number 3.
At 23rd Jul 2008, Huntingdonian wrote:So Mandelson and his EU project cohort think its a good idea to offer to open our labour market to all and sundry. Just when were the people of this country and presumably others in the EU going to be consulted (told !) about this momentous decision. Have our guardians of the working man, the Trade Unions, been aware of this and what is their view ? How is this viewed across the political parties ? Who actually is in favor of this and who would care to campaign electorally on such a platform ? Well done Newsnight on picking up on this. I know Mr Estler tried to get the junior minister to answer and that he singularly avoided doing so. But this is too important an issue to let slide and I hope you and your team get the chance to force a debate on the issue.
Perhaps time also for a Newsnight fair and fundamental review of the free market philosophy that has held sway and that drives the Globalist agenda underpinning the WTO. The economic theory of open markets makes great promises, but has it really delivered as it claims ? Or does it simply lead to the enrichment of some at the expense of others. I suspect I am not alone in feeling increasing unease as our financial, and industrial wealth generators fall in ever larger numbers to foreign based control, unaccountable to the people of this state. Especially as it seems that we in the UK are out of step with many other world states, including ones in the EU as well as the US, that appear to take a more cautious approach to the benefits of an economic free for all or are significantly less sanguine about the fall of strategic assets to SWFs that exist to serve the interests of foreign governments.
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Comment number 4.
At 25th Jul 2008, stayingcool wrote:You invite people to comment on your blog, but when they unequivocally ask for more information and clarification, for instance who has been in the know about Mode 4 - you fail to pursue it and provide that information.
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Comment number 5.
At 25th Jul 2008, stayingcool wrote:You invite people to comment on your blog, but when they unequivocally ask for more information and clarification, for instance who has been in the know about Mode 4 - you fail to pursue it and to provide that information.
Who knows? Obviously the EU Trade Commission, the Government , acting through BERR officials, the Tory Party, the Lib Dems (transnational capital lobbying in Brussles is headed up by Lib Dem Lord Valance of Tummel - Ian Valance without the pomp). Also, the Greens and the Trade Unions have known about it. Those not there for big business didn't want to be seen mentioning immigration.
And the Ö÷²¥´óÐã? Passive, reactive and complacent? Its workers certainly know now, but are they following up on such a huge issue, before it likely gets fixed, irreversibly, into international trade law?
NO - still not taking the responsibility to do what they are paid for - inform us re our interests.
As labour standards are lost in the EU, they will be lost to the world.
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