The Importance Of TPPA Negotiations

The Trade unions and the employees in New Zealand (NZ) have kept expressing their concerns over the secrecy of TPPA negotiations through various protests. On the 25th of March this year, thousands of people around NZ came out to protest against the government’s position over the TPPA. The secret nature of the TPPA was criticised. Moreover, the secrecy was considered as selling out NZ’s sovereignty to the globalization and profit-seeking corporations. Dr Jane Kelsey, a professor at the Auckland University present at the protest predicted that unless there is an intervention by the International Trade Commission to finalize the agreement till August, the current TPPA negotiations are going to hinder back (Coconut spy tempest to TPPA secrecy, 2015).
Dr Kelsey’s prediction proved to be correct as later on by the end of July, a significant round of negotiations in Hawaii failed to conclude the TPPA. Likewise, the issues of dairy, autos and agriculture remained unresolved (TTP, RIP? 2015). The secrecy over the content of the deal meant that the powerful corporations of the member countries could gain the monopoly over the labour policies, job …show more content…
A huge share of 40% of these cases was against the developed countries. It is troublesome to note that out of the 42 decisions made by the ISDS last year, an award of USD 50 billion was awarded on the three related cases. This award was by far the highest in the history of investment arbitration. Hence, the autonomy of the domestic employment regulations and employment institutes might be at the stake under the TPPA, which could affect the labour rights and security standards in return. Currently, the primary source of employment legislation that is ERA 2000 complies with the International Labour Organization’s International Labour Standards which could be amended by the member countries in the TPPA if it’s