Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The people have no say, the trade off's could sell our souls.

Unions call for halt in TPP negotiations so that agreement can be scrutinised

International Trade Union Confederation says leaked sections of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement reveal worrying clauses

The world’s largest trade union federation has joined Australian unions in calling on Tony Abbott and the other 11 government leaders to stop negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

The letter from the International Trade Union Confederation and the ACTU says leaked excerpts of TPP negotiations suggest the inclusion of controversial clauses, which Unoins believe could cost the jobs of their members.

The clauses include:

• the investor state dispute clause (ISDS), which opponents say can help multinationals to undermine social policies;

•patent protections which would make medicines more expensive;

• and restrictions on national financial regulation;

The TPP also shows a failure to take climate change into account, the unions say.

The  Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan says the secrecy of negotiations mean it is impossible to scrutinise the trade agreement for its effect on the Australian population.

Keeping the negotiating texts and mandates away from public scrutiny is not an acceptable practice for a ‘21st century agreement.

The TPP has nothing to do with people, its about big business, people do not exist as people, they are just consumers,numbers to be traded, they are just another comodity.