Today our organisations will meet Secretary of State for
International Trade Dr. Liam FoxMP for the first meeting of the
Government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group. Together we represent
the views of 300,000 businesses large and small, 5.5 million
working people, 1.66 million producers in developing countries and
consumers across the UK.
Trade can be a powerful tool to increase and share
prosperity in the UK and around the world. But the public debate
in this area - almost exclusively on Brexit or the merits of
possible new free trade agreements - says very little about how
trade can benefit the whole of society. Today is an opportunity
to press the reset button and show how trade can work for all
when trade unions, businesses and civil society work in
partnership with government.
Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations,
together we must build a trade policy which:
-
Helps every region and nation of the United Kingdom
to grow, raise living standards, promote good jobs and fair
pay
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Upholds and enforces international labour
standards, human rights and protects our public
services
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Maintains and, ideally, enhances consumer rights
and standards
-
Promotes international development, with continued
high ambition on foreign aid and delivery of the United
Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
-
Ensures fair, transparent dispute
resolution
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Reinforces our global reputation for environmental
stewardship, diversity & inclusion
We are committed to working with each other – and
with all politicians – to achieve these goals and draw up
practical guidance to make them a reality. This is the best way
of creating an inclusive trade policy for the UK that workers,
businesses and communities will benefit from.
Signed by:
The CBI
FSB
TUC
Which?
The Fairtrade
Foundation
