Trade in Services - TISA

Trade in Services Agreement

The TiSA negotiations between the US, EU, Australia and about 20 other mostly industrialised countries began in 2013.  The negotiations were driven by global services corporations which want to deregulate trade in services further than what could be achieved through the World Trade Organisation. The negotiations were suspended in 2016 when the US Trump government withdrew from them. See background here and leaked documents here.

Major issues: secrecy, restrictions on government regulation of services, data regulation, expansion of foreign investment in competitive tendering, pressure for privatisation of services.

Forum - Trading Privatisation - Time to Fight Back

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are driving privatisation on a global scale.  They pose a very real threat to public sector services and may even prevent attempts to re-nationalise when privatisation fails.

The TPP may be dead, and TiSA may be terminally ill, but RCEP is alive and well.  And there are signs that with the demise of larger agreements, the same outcomes are being sought in bi-lateral agreements.

TISA means trouble

 16 May 2017: A new report and campaign has been launched by the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) to reveal the threat to jobs and workers’ rights posed by the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).
 
According to the ITF, the new campaign - 'TISA means trouble' - enlists the power of trade unions to fight back against the deal, which has been negotiated in virtual secrecy by the European Union and 22 other countries. Find out more via their website: www.tisameanstrouble.org

Take Action on TiSA

TiSA negotiations have been shrouded in secrecy but leaked documents show that global services corporations and some governments are using the deal to push a deregulation and privatisation agenda.

Tell the Australian Government not to trade away the regulation of essential services. Send a message to Trade Minister Steve Ciobo here.

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