HB 22-01: More Fairness to Workers Act (Passed)

[Blair]

I'm broadly open to this bill but am unsure about the extent of the tariffs and worry that it could see huge short price hikes where our industry simply don't have the capacity to fill in the gap.

I generally prefer to use trade deals to raise standards in other countries, rather than imposing tariffs which could affect our consumers here.

[Blair]

Offering the below amendment- as someone who has sadly had to learn a lot more than I wished about tariff levels (thanks Bojo) I generally prefer to take a more defined level on tariffs- and I'm worried the current bill gives a blank slate which will lead to undefined levels of tarrifs being thrown onto a whole range of goods- which will see consumers being hit.

I've also expanded and specified the criteria for the imposition of any tariff- and is generally in line with my own view of making trade be more about 'how much will this benefit our GDP'.

MORE FAIRNESS TO WORKERS ACT

 

To protect Atlasian workers from unfair foreign trade practices

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1: TITLE
1. This law shall be referred to as the More Fairness to Workers Act.

SECTION 2: FINDINGS.
1. A high standard of living for Atlasian workers is important.
2. Atlasian industry cannot reasonably be expected to incur increasing worker costs of compliance with federal mandates while its foreign competitors enjoy a substantial and widening competitive advantage as a result of remaining unfettered by worker protection obligations.
3. The significant and serious competitive advantage enjoyed by our foreign competitors from cost savings derived from the absence of effective worker protection controls results in cheaper foreign imports which capture Atlasian market share and injure Atlasian industries.
4. The failure of a government to impose effective worker protection controls on production and manufacturing facilities within its borders should be recognized for what it is--a significant and unfair subsidy which must be addressed now in order to halt irreversible damage to the Atlasian worker and provide funding for social welfare programs.

SECTION 3: COUNTERVAILING DUTIES.
1. The failure of a foreign country to impose and enforce effective worker protection controls and safeguards on the production or manufacture of any class or kind of merchandise shall constitute an unfair trade practice warranting countervailing duties on the goods of that countries.
2. The amount of the duty imposed shall be derived from the cost which would have to be incurred by the manufacturer or producer of the foreign articles or merchandise to comply with worker protection standards imposed on United States producers of the same class or kind of merchandise.'.
3. All duties collected shall be deposited in the general treasury.

2.) The President, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall apply an additional amount of duty of 5% on any manufactured product. The following criteria shall be considered when assessing the application of this additional duty.

A.) Any negative difference in Trade Union rights, freedoms and protections in the export country.
B.) Corporate Governance standards, including workplace representation rights, employee protections and rights and whistle-blowing protections.
C.) Environmental Protections, including but not limited to measures to decrease water & airborne pollution occurring from industrial and manufacturing sites.
D.) Social Security measures, including but not limited to minimum wages, maximum hours, sick leave, vacation pay, overtime pay and social security benefits
E.) Applications of State Aid including direct and indirect subsidies from the Government to support industries.
F.) Independently assessed levels of democratic freedoms, including the right to protest, assemble, vote.
G.) Levels of media and press freedom.


SECTION 4: INTERNATIONAL WORKER PROTECTION INDEX.
1. The Department of Internal Affairs shall annually prepare, a worker protection control index for each of the top fifty countries identified by the Trade Representative based on the value of exports to Atlasia from that country's attainment of a government imposed minimum wage, maximum hours, sick leave, vacation pay, overtime pay, and social security as compared to Atlasia. on the above criteria in Section 3.The purpose of this index is to measure the level of compliance within each country with standards comparable to or greater than those in Atlasia.

SECTION 5: Starting Date.
1. This act shall take effect against all countries 6 months from the date of passage.

[Blair]

Offering another amendment to clarify language

MORE FAIRNESS TO WORKERS ACT

 

To protect Atlasian workers from unfair foreign trade practices

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1: TITLE
1. This law shall be referred to as the More Fairness to Workers Act.

SECTION 2: FINDINGS.
1. A high standard of living for Atlasian workers is important.
2. Atlasian industry cannot reasonably be expected to incur increasing worker costs of compliance with federal mandates while its foreign competitors enjoy a substantial and widening competitive advantage as a result of remaining unfettered by worker protection obligations.
3. The significant and serious competitive advantage enjoyed by our foreign competitors from cost savings derived from the absence of effective worker protection controls results in cheaper foreign imports which capture Atlasian market share and injure Atlasian industries.
4. The failure of a government to impose effective worker protection controls on production and manufacturing facilities within its borders should be recognized for what it is--a significant and unfair subsidy which must be addressed now in order to halt irreversible damage to the Atlasian worker and provide funding for social welfare programs.

SECTION 3: COUNTERVAILING DUTIES.
1. The failure of a foreign country to impose and enforce effective worker protection controls and safeguards on the production or manufacture of any class or kind of merchandise shall constitute an unfair trade practice.

2.) The President, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall have the authority to apply an additional amount of duty of 5% on any manufactured product if they are incoming from a nation state which breaches the standards set out in 2A to 2G.

A.) Any negative difference in Trade Union rights, freedoms and protections in the export country.
B.) Corporate Governance standards, including workplace representation rights, employee protections and rights and whistle-blowing protections.
C.) Environmental Protections, including but not limited to measures to decrease water & airborne pollution occurring from industrial and manufacturing sites.
D.) Social Security measures, including but not limited to minimum wages, maximum hours, sick leave, vacation pay, overtime pay and social security benefits
E.) Excessive, unfair and uncompetitive applications of State Aid including direct and indirect subsidies from the Government to support industries.
F.) Independently assessed levels of democratic freedoms, including the right to protest, assemble, vote.
G.) Levels of media and press freedom.


SECTION 4: INTERNATIONAL WORKER PROTECTION INDEX.
1. The Department of Internal Affairs shall annually prepare, a worker protection control index for each of the top fifty countries identified by the Trade Representative based on the above criteria in Section 3.The purpose of this index is to measure the level of compliance within each country with standards comparable to or greater than those in Atlasia.

SECTION 5: Starting Date.
1. This act shall take effect against all countries 6 months from the date of passage.

[Blair]

aye