ITGLWF requests urgent meeting with WTO director general
Alarmed at a perceived lack of World Trade Organisation (WTO) action to deal with the likely fall-out from the end of quotas on December 31, 2004, The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) has requested an urgent meeting with the director general of WTO, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, in order to discuss the concerns of workers in the sector.
According to general secretary of the Brussels-based ITGLWF, Neil Kearney, the ending of quotas is threatening 30 million jobs in the sector. “As many as one million young workers in
clothing producing nation are under threat,” said Mr Kearney.
He added: “This is a WTO-manufactured crisis and one it must urgently remedy. But the WTO is now paralysed following China’s blocking of demands from textile and clothing producing nations from every continent for an investigation to determine the impact of the end of quota restraints on December 31 and the measures needed to address the resultant problems. I understand
