Union Questions Why U.S. Should Grant NTR to
China(Washington, D.C.) - International
Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa questioned
the wisdom of granting China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR)
status in light of the State Department’s Human Rights Report
released today. The section of the Report on China details
escalating violations of internationally recognized human rights.
The Report states that China’s "poor human rights record
deteriorated markedly throughout the year," and that "the Government
continued to commit widespread and well-documented human rights
abuses, in violation of internationally accepted norms."
"This Report shows that China’s leaders are not improving their
horrendous record on worker and human rights abuses - they are
escalating it," said Hoffa. "The Clinton Administration’s
willingness to continue negotiating trade deals with a country that
has consistently violated human and workers’ rights sends the wrong
message to the international community. The message it sends is that
the U.S. is willing to put trade policy over people."
The Teamsters union opposes the trade deal and believes that
China should not be granted permanent NTR status until it addresses
its legacy of human and workers’ rights abuses.
"Granting China permanent NTR will put a seal of approval on one
of the most brutally repressive regimes in the world and would
hinder our ability to promote positive change for the people of
China," Hoffa continued. "There is nothing ‘normal’ about the way
China treats it citizens - so why should we treat them as ‘normal’
trading partners?"
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represent more than
1.4 million working men and women throughout the United States,
Canada, and Puerto Rico. |