http://www.ccnmatthews.com

OCTOBER 21, 2005 - 11:22 ET

"Something to feel excited about," says Yussuff

Unions Across the Americas Offer Alternative to the FTAAs

Attention: Assignment Editor, Business/Financial Editor, News Editor, World News Editor, Government/Political Affairs Editor

TORONTO--(CCNMatthews - Oct. 21, 2005) - When the political leaders of the 34 countries of the Americas meet in a few weeks (November 4-5) in Mar del Plata, Argentina, workers all over the hemisphere expect to find on their agenda a document called "Labour's Platform for the Americas: Decent Work for Sustainable Development."

The "Labour's Platform" is a detailed policy statement that outlines an "alternative development for the Americas" quite different from the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), that is currently moribund.

"It would be the first time the official Summit of the Americas dealt with something that workers can feel excited about," said Canadian Labour Congress secretary-treasurer Hassan Yussuff.

"Labour's Platform for the Americas: Decent Work for Sustainable Development" was developed with the active participation of representatives from unions across the Americas. It was delivered on September 26 to the Labour Ministers of the 34 countries of the Americas (not including Cuba) at their conference in Mexico.

"We expect each labour minister will forward this platform to his or her own head of government and that this document will be part of the agenda at Mar del Plata," says Yussuff. "Here in Canada, Labour Minister Joe Fontana can expect that I will be asking him, repeatedly, to make sure that it is a priority of the Prime Minister when he travels to Argentina in two weeks."

The "Labour's Platform for the Americas: Decent Work for Sustainable Development" is available on our web site at www.canadianlabour.ca

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada's national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 137 district labour councils. Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca


IN: ECONOMY, FINANCE, LABOUR, POLITICS, SOCIAL