Why should the WTO reject the move to regulate core labour standards in India?

Question

You are a senior trade negotiator of the indian government. You need to state why the WTO should reject the move to regulate core labour standards.You need to provide very strong examples from india to back your case?

Answer 1

You explain that the real costs of labor standards to your economy (risk of companies leaving for Pakistan, Vietnam, etc.) outweigh the potential benefits to workers. A good way to accomplish this might be to insist that the WTO pass the same measures to competing nations such as Pakistan and Vietnam) before coming back to India. You would be much better served by ensuring that your nation would not competitively disadvantaged.

Answer 2

Because the impact of globalisation on labour standards, focusing on India's garment export industry. Manufacturers in the labour intensive garment industry are significant because as employers, they implement labour standards and compete in the global market. A debate has taken place on whether or not a social clause should be included in the framework of the WTO. The social clause would link international trade with basic worker's rights. A breach of the basic labour standards agreed in international conventions, such as the eight core labour standards conventions from the ILO, would give other states a right to impose trade sanctions upon the breaching party. The overarching aim of such sanctions should be to ensure and promote the respect of the core labour standards worldwide. However, sanctions may not be the best way to advance labour standards; they may not even improve the situation in developing countries at all. Many developing countries strongly oppose any such measures.

Swedish International Development Corporation Agency conducted a minor field study in India as a part of our Master Thesis in International Public and Labour law at the School of Economics and Commercial Law, Göteborg University.

A debate has taken place on whether or not a social clause should be included in the framework of the WTO. The main target of the study is to gain a deeper understanding of international labour and trade law from India's views concerning core labour standards and trade, trade sanctions, international competition, and its impact on working conditions.

I personally think that WTO must consider how coutries administrate matters as manpower, unions, bonded labour, child labour and discrimination.