be effects Trade (NAFTA), introduced Most 1994, are starkly apparent to working people Mexico and the U.S.
It was certainly no accident January 1 1994 as the day to their rebellion in the Lacadon jungle - they were only fighting for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas but protestagainst the neo-liberal NAFTA sought to impose on the poor and exploited throughout the world.
The Free Trade Area of the (FTAA) would intensify NAFTA's "race to the bottom".
workers Mexico could be played off against even more or Brazil, by companies secktariff-frec access back Over a million U.S. jobs NAFTA. have been lost since NAFTA eight companies relocated to Mexico fotake advantage a the lower wages and weaker laws regulating basic health ment of the AnO SK POVSI0S American workers environment who lose their jobs this way increased then end up finding new jobs threats in the arca themselves, with less A security than they had before and wages that are about 7% of what they originally with Mexico has become an Torec $18.6 billion deficit. average, AFTA was sold sewage treatment N in Mexico on the arinking walch basis that would icad prosperity. In fact it is only in the border region that intensified industrial activity has for the mn toc unregulated maquiladoras.
And of course this has only brought pront to toe bosses - in the financial for the workers it has meant TETCECU CAPIUISEGUR loday more than one mil. for nothing. lion more Mexicans work for os C usaauE wanc of $3.40 per day than before the last seven that FTAA Mexicans have fallen from million "investor-to-state" suits.
These allow corporations the middle class into poverty. to sue governments directly for the removal of maquiladoras has led to destruction of the public health and which may cost the corporapublic health tions a little more in operating costs. long the border, In other words, the FTAA the occurrence of would include clauses that explicitly SOTe SCases, including hepati- profits over human costs. tis, are NAFTA cases precedents for FTAA actions due to lack and safe | The Canadian funeral home chain Loewen Group, also been a rise in violence which used NAFTA investor protections NAFTA expansion to the poremment for $750 million whole hemisphere also pro Missisip di cash damages ( vides a potential "back door" SUUE Multilateral them guilty of malicious and fraudulent HY CHICHE (MAI), through negotiations tan"cicu focused on investments and small business.
(NAFTA permits compator. Activists didn't label the mies to suc goveruaicats vvci MAI "NAFTA on steroids" rulings or regulations that may Like In NAt lAS Iniamous prous. Locwen antucs that Chapter 11, the US Trade the very state court system violates its will include NAPTA rights.
• The U.S.-based Ethyl Corporation forced Canada to pay SI3 milion in damstandards ages and drop its ban on the dangerous gasoline additive and safety, MMi, a known toxin taar attacks the human nervous Systeal. ther regulations protecting public value corporate environment remain open setting attack umacr Narid FTAA. • In a similar case, U.S.based wasle company Metalclad sued a Mexican state the U.S. In 1991 they bad bought a toxic treatment after found in Guadalcazar. They planned to build a practices that huge hazardous waste dump local ,and promised to clean up the mess left behind by the previous owners. But they reneged on the promise potentially limit their -in particular neglecting to deal with ground water conexistence of the tamination and so alicnated local support In 1995, when the landfill was ready to open: the city denied Metalelad a building permit and the state declared was part of an ecological Metalclad launched a legal The complaint was heard in Washington by a three-person arbitration for panel.
Metalclad awarded was Sib./m. Using a rare mechaallowing appeal to a third party, Mexico has choCorp. sen to challenge the ruling before a Canadian provincial SuD Cne COle facility Ás Naomi Klein wrote in the Guardian on March 1 vivid illustration of what WICH they allege that free-trade deals amount to a "bill of rights for This is why thousands of protestors will be going activists the world over are organising against the effects of neo-liberal globalisation.