Labour

Last month, in an historic achievement of
@emocratic unity, Mexican opposition for-
ces established the Party of the Democratic
Revolution to challenge the ruling party in
that country. PRD leader Cuauhtemoc Car-
denas addressed the B.C. Federation of
Labour convention to appeal for solidarity
2 fighting the U.S.-Mexico trade deal and
in forging a new relationship. The following
are excerpts from his speech.

Our encounter here today is not only a
first meeting between Canadians and
Mexicans with a common cause — it is,
hopefully, the beginning of an enduring,
Substantive and fruitful relationship be-
tween the progressive forces of two coun-
tries that in the past always limited their
bonds to official bureaucratic ties.

This meeting is above all a challenge for
the forces in favour of true democracy, of
labour, grass-roots organizations, defenders
of the environment, religious groups and
intellectuals who are trying to build, in both
countries, a vision for the future that is both
sovereign and just, fair and democratic.

Another meeting held last week in the
Mexican city of Monterey between Carlos
Salinas and George Bush is the epitome of

ELT
We are categorically and

irrevocably opposed to
this kind of free trade
agreement. It is not in
Mexico’s interest, but
neither will it favour the
interests of the majority of
the inhabitants of the -
United States and Canada.

an international relationship we do not stand
for. Both the governments of Mexico and the
U.S. pretend to be embraced by a new spirit
of friendship. But beyond that facade is the
reality of a subordinated government which
without pride surrenders to the economic
and political demands of an embattled, but
yet abrasive neighbour.

We are running late. Another type of
agenda is also being constructed, much
more rapidly than we could have imagined.
That is the agenda of Monterey. This other
agenda is not aimed at creating a new con-
tinental relationship, but rather at subordi-
nating both of our countries to our common
neighbour — the United States. Our goal is
to join forces with you, and with our friends,
allies and counterparts in the United States
to build the right kind of relationship among
our three nations, not the wrong one. Our
aim today is to draft together a just, sov-
ereign and democratic continental relation-
ship for the 21st century.

The apparent opening of the Mexican
economy to the rest of the world has, in fact,
resulted in the Mexican people’s being shut
in behind a wall of political intolerance,
human rights abuses, electoral fraud and
growing social inequality. Since 1988, the
Mexican people have waged an ongoing
struggle for democracy, which has been vir-
tually ignored by world public opinion, in-
fatuated with the present administration’s
free-market rhetoric.

In the name of free trade, the Mexican
government and its allies in Washington
want the world to ignore that other Mexico.
Their free trade agenda is simple and nar-
tow: Mexico will sell its cheap labour in
order to attract foreign capital, which in turn

‘We want to build a sovereign future’

will guarantee the survival of one of the last
remaining authoritarian political systems in
Latin America.

Low wages, anti-democratic union prac-
tices, the disgraceful lack of environmental
regulations and restriction, unhealthy and
dangerous working conditions, and unpro-
tected consumers are proudly presented by
the Mexican government as assets or com-
parative advantages in the struggle for inter-
national competitiveness. At the same time,
the government disguises the way in which
Mexico’s real assets particularly oil would
be sold out in the free trade package.

We are categorically and irrevocably op-
posed to this kind of free trade agreement. It
is not in Mexico’s interest, but neither will it
favour the interests of the majority of the
inhabitants of the United States and Canada.

That is not the way to go. Living standards

in your country, and long-standing labour
and social achievements will be lost, while
Mexican workers will not find their lot de-
cisively improved.

We also understand that a broad majority
of Canadians seem to have reached the con-
clusion that the U.S,-Canadian free trade
agreement was a bad deal and now wish to
abrogate it. We believe that Canadians can best
redress the problems they have with the free
trade agreement by joining with us in a com-
mon strategy to design and implement a new
model for continental trade negotiations.

We believe that an alternative agreement
should include a social charter artd be based
on common standards for labour, social and
environmental rights. Likewise, a continen-
tal pact of this nature would strengthen our
internal struggle for democracy and ...
human rights. We also believe that this ar-
rangement should guarantee the sovereign
rights of each nation to develop its own
natural resources, particularly oil, to meet
the needs of its own people. :

We have a vision of the type of develop-
ment and continental relationship we wish
to further. We cannot accept the argument
whereby any criticism of current free trade
agreements is disqualified because we are
against world trends, historical currents and
“modem” ideas, that we are simply trying to
preserve anachronistic structures.

On the contrary, we aspire to a more
integrated world, and to acontinental frame-
work of development where scientific and
technological progress is shared to bring
social improvements.

But it can only be the product of true
leadership, not of economic inertia. It must
arise from democratic participation, not
authoritarian imposition. Itmust be based on
prudent, responsible timing, not electorally
determined haste. It must seek to truly bring
up Mexican living standards, but not at the
expense of American and Canadian
workers’ gains.

Finally, and above all, it must not work
to the detriment of Mexicans’, Canadians’,
or Americans’ dignity, environment and
resources. It must not work against our com-
mon future.

CUAUHTEMOC CARDENAS ... U.S. trade pact ‘not in Mexicans’ or Canadians’
interests.’

from the

HOSPITAL
EMPLOYEES’
UNION

70 al unionized workers and families
BEST WISHES
AWD
SLASON § GREETINGS
from the members ard, femities of

PPWC, LOCAL #4, PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.

Pacific Tribune, December 17, 1990 11

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