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India's workers left high and dry
TONY BURKE warns that employment and environment rights clauses have been removed from the trade deal with India
LEFT UNPROTECTED: India general strike Novmber 26 2020 [IndustriALL Global Union/flickr/CC]

PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposed trade deal with India will not include legally enforceable commitments on employment rights or environmental standards.

In January last year the Tory government said the British government was committed to negotiating enforceable labour and environment chapters as it laid out its strategic approach. 

“We remain committed to upholding our high environmental, labour, food safety and animal welfare standards in our trade agreement with India.”

But Sunak is now going hell for leather to secure a trade deal with India before the next general election.

It appears he is prepared to dump clauses on the environment and employment rights to get deal “at any cost.”

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