Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

Statement on the preliminary agreement the TPP

1. The twelve countries announced a preliminary agreement of Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact on 5 October 2015 in the press conference, Atlanta, the USA. The inclusion of respecting core labour standards of the ILO is appreciated; however, there are still a lot of areas remaining unclear. Also, concerns about possible impacts on various sectors still remain. The government should make negotiation process and the content of the agreement transparent to the public.
2. RENGO continues to request the government to suitably address concerns, taking into account possible impacts that the TPP may have on extensive field, while making an efforts in collecting necessary information mainly through cooperating with various organizations, including the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and national centres of trade unions in the countries concerned.
3. Beyond the preliminary agreement, procedures at the national level, for example, to finalise the text and get it approved in the Diet, will soon start toward the conclusion of the pact. We urge the government to disclose details of the pact and make every possible effort in a prudent manner to lead a national consensus. The government should also properly analyse impacts on people’s lives, verify their calculation and take all possible measures to address issues crucial to maintain security of the society, such as food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
4. For the economic partnership in Asia and the Pacific to contribute to sustainable growth more and better jobs in Japan, as well as fair, sustainable development and decent work for all in the region, RENGO will keep close eyes on home and foreign trends, investigate minutely impacts on people’s lives and government’s measures and take necessary actions through requests to and consultations with the government and parties.