China, Trade Liberalisation and Labour: a race to the bottom or building workers rights?

By Chris Nyland and Anne O'Rourke

A symposium on the economic, social and labour implications of the proposed Australian free trade agreement with China was held in Melbourne earlier this year.

The symposium looked at various issues including:

· What are the fundamentals of Chinese labour law?

· How is China's role in global product markets influencing labour markets in both China and the rest of the world?

· To what extent do China's labour conditions enable corporations operating in China to undermine the competitiveness of industry and producers across Asia and the OECD?

· How is China's embrace of bilateral trade agreements perceived by labour and employers in the EU, USA and Asia?

· What lessons might the international trade union movement draw from attempts by North American and European unionists and producers to shape their nations' trade policies I general and in relation to China?

· How should the international union movement engage with the All China Federation of Trade Unions

(Australian Options; no 41, Winter 2005)