All the major trade unions, federations, labour support organisations from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal who gathered for´ the first time in Kathmandu in end-May agreed on one thing—there must be a South Asian Charter of Labour Rights.
In the past several years, diplomats, writers, artists, scientists, social activists, lawyers and development-wallas have had their South Asian meets. So why should labour unions stay aloof from this very positive trend towards regional understanding and cooperation?
The South Asian Consultation on Labour Rights in Kathmandu was the culmination of work begun in early 1995, when the major trade unions and support groups from India and representatives from neighbouring countries met to discuss the proposal to introduce a social clause (on labour and environmental standards in international trade) as part of the World Trade Organisation.
The meeting overwhelmingly rejected the inclusion of the clause because it felt it would be used by the industrialised countries to deny South Asian goods access to their markets. But, at the same time, they decided to seek alternatives to help improve the labour rights situation in the Subcontinent.