UK-New Zealand trade deal lacks important protections for workers, says TUC

Commenting on today’s (Monday) announcement of a trade deal between the UK and New Zealand, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“The fanfare around this trade deal is a fig leaf for ministers’ failure to honour the Northern Ireland protocol and end the US tariffs hammering British steel.

“All our trade deals should be designed to benefit both working people and businesses. But trade unions were not properly consulted on this deal, and it lacks some important protections for workers.

“The labour chapter does not contain adequate measures to enforce working people’s rights. And it leaves public services exposed to privatisation and profiteering.

“There are also threats to justice with people’s personal data not protected, and the door left open for UK-New Zealand investments to be subject to the notorious ISDS court system if the UK joins the Pacific CPTPP trade deal. This would allow foreign investors to sue the government for actions that they claim threaten their profits, such as increasing the minimum wage.”