Quote:
Originally Posted by Kizzy
That's right, WTO have mode 4 of GATS.
Here's what it will mean for us...
'Race to the bottom'
Mode 4, according to a definition by the WTO, refers to the "temporary movement of natural persons: when independent service providers or employees of a multinational firm temporarily move to another country".
Indian officials called for 40,000 workers to come to Europe under this scheme but EU negotiators said it should be half that. Twelve thousand of those could come to the UK.
Linda Kaucher, an academic studying trade deals, says this would not be good for British workers.
"I think it means an absolute race to the bottom now and in the future for jobs for UK workers," she says. "Numbers studying computing at university have slumped here because people don't want to be in competition with cheap labour. That means a real de-skilling for the country."
In a statement to the EU, she said that "insofar as Mode 4 allows corporations to bring cheaper labour into EU countries and capitalise on the wage differential, workers in the host countries have a great deal to lose".
The TUC has joined the debate, saying it does not want commitments that could lead to the exploitation of Indian workers or those already with access to the UK jobs market.
Owen Tudor, head of the TUC's EU and international relations department, tells the BBC that he is worried about "the under-cutting of the labour market in the UK, particularly for skilled graduates".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20525842 |
I really don't see that that would cause any significant issues as (from what I can tell from that and a couple of other documents I have read - not the easiest read) Mode 4 only includes; temporary movement, in practice highly skilled such as managers, executives and specialists, foreign employees of foreign companies established in the host country, self-employed and employees of a foreign supplier.
It does not include; permanent migration, residence, citizenship or employment on a permanent basis, persons working in non-service industries or persons' seeking to enter the employment market.
So no benefit claimants or people coming here to stay!