As Numsa News went to print, governments were battling it out in Geneva to get the best deals for their countries under Nama.
Nama stands for Non-Agricultural Market Access. It is an agreement that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and developed countries want to impose on developing countries. The WTO is an organisation that sets out rules on world trade.
Developing countries like South Africa fear that Nama will destroy their manufacturing industries. It requires these countries to slash tariffs on goods that are imported. In this country it could mean that factories making cars or car components would close down because consumers would buy cheaper imported goods.
Already workplaces like Femco have closed because they cannot compete with other countries’ goods that are flooding this country. Nama will make this situation much worse.
Meanwhile Cosatu has met with trade unions from other developing countries. They plan to hold a conference later in the year to discuss a common approach to trade issues. Non-governmental organisations will also be invited.
But in a world where no-one’s job is secure and unemployment is top priority, finding common ground might be difficult. Jobs for one country means retrenchments for another!
May Day – where were the people?
Although May Day in Port St Johns was a celebratory event with participation by many (see page 9), May Day in other parts of the country showed signs of poor attendance.
At Numsa’s recent National Executive meeting, delegates debated why this was so and how participation could be encouraged again. One idea was to produce a May Day booklet telling people about the importance of May Day.
Now is the time for you to tell us. Write and tell us if you went and why.
If you did go, how did you find the celebrations?
If you didn’t go, why didn’t you go and what would make you go again?
Write to Numsa News, PO Box 260483 , Excom 2023. We will publish your letters in the next Numsa News.