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BackIn some respects, Canada’s proposals for a Sustainability Chapter are closer to our requirements than the EU Proposal. This is in particular the case with regard to the integration of ministers, the more developed dispute resolution procedure and above all the approach that violations against the agreed labour standards will finally be punished with significant fines. The Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) regards it as particularly positive that the Canadian Proposal makes the integration of elements that go beyond core labour standards in the Free Trade Agreement mandatory (minimum wages, overtime payments, occupational health and safety and the equal treatment of migrants concerning working conditions).
It has to be insisted upon, however, that Canada ratifies Convention 29 (Forced Labour), Convention 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining) and Convention 138 (Minimum Age) of ILO, even if she has already made the Conventions national law and is effectively using them.<br /><br />From the point of view of the AK, the Canadian Proposal should be fundamentally discussed in a meeting with the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMASK) and the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth (BMWFJ) to reach a final verdict.
