Unions wary of China-Aust trade deal

The Rudd government is being warned the nation will lose more jobs than it will gain
if Australia signs a free trade agreement with China.
Officials were in Beijing earlier this month to lay the groundwork for the 14th
round of negotiations, which are yet to be scheduled.
Negotiations have been at an impasse since December last year despite strong support
from Canberra and Beijing.
Unions are urging the government to consider the cost of a deal, such as the dumping
of goods into Australia and the lower labour and environmental standards.
A report commissioned by the Victorian branch of the Electrical Trades Union warns a
China FTA could create 12,000 jobs for Australia but take away another 170,000 in
the manufacturing industry.
"The view that Australia could lose manufacturing jobs to overseas companies whilst
increasing other exports in relation to services, innovation, research and
development has proved to be at best optimistic," it said.
Citing completed FTAs with Thailand, Singapore and the United States, the report
said imports have increased faster from these countries than exports to them since
the deals were signed.
Independent MPs Tony Windsor, Bob Katter and Rob Oakeshott are calling on the
government to allow the parliament to have a bigger role in discussion about free
trade deals.
The Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN FTA - the biggest involving Australia to date -
was passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday after just a couple of days
debate.
Dean Mighell, secretary of the ETU in Victoria, told reporters free trade deals were
a critical social issue for Australia.
"People in the factories, people on the farms, small business people should have
real and serious concerns about the implications of free trade agreements," he said.
"The ETU commissioned this report because we think that if we entered into a free
trade agreement with China it is the death knell for our manufacturing industries
and many of our food-producing industries."