SB 22-28: More Fairness to Workers Act (Passed)

[Peanut]

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.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 6-1-1-1

Sponsor: TBD
SB 22-28

[Peanut]

Here too

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I motion to assume sponsorship.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

I am a fan of the aims of this bill. One nitpick I have however is the reference to a Department of Internal Affairs. How would this be enforced?

[Peanut]

Yankee is recognized as sponsor ftr.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am a fan of the aims of this bill. One nitpick I have however is the reference to a Department of Internal Affairs. How would this be enforced?

We should amend that like we did that other bill where this came up. Tack knows which one I am talking about.

[Former President tack50]

Introducing the following amendment to fix the reference to the Department of Internal Affairs. Interestingly, the bill does indeed correctly use the AG office instead of the non-existent SoIA:

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 federal Department of Internal Affairs in charge of domestic policy 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.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I fully support the aims of this bill and will vote in support of the amended version.

[thumb21]

I was under the impression that the Department still existed, but it was under the authority of the Attorney General now instead of the SoIA?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I was under the impression that the Department still existed, but it was under the authority of the Attorney General now instead of the SoIA?

making it non-specific allows for greater flexibility. We always forget that President can merge and destroy departments at will post-reset.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Amendment is friendly.

[Peanut]

Anything to add, Senators?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Anything to add, Senators?

You need to process the pending friendly amendment.

[Peanut]

Ftr, the bill is amended accordingly. Anything further?

[Former President tack50]

Motion for a final vote

[Peanut]

With no objection, we are now at final vote. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[Former President tack50]

Aye

I lean more towards the free trade side of things, but this bill is good at stopping "races to the bottom" while still allowing us to trade freely with nations that actually have some decent working conditions

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Aye

[Pyro]

Aye

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Mr. VPeanut?

[Peanut]

Bill passes on a 5-0-0-1 vote with the following division:

Aye: Tack, Scott, Pyro, LT, NCY
Not voting: DC


The bill is passed and is sent to the President for his signature.