Today, in a brief Federal Register notice, the Bush Administration officially rejected the AFL-CIO’s Section 301 petition alleging that the Chinese government’s systemic and brutal repression of workers’ rights is an unfair trade practice.

The AFL-CIO filed the unprecedented petition in March under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 demanding that President Bush use all the policy tools at his disposal to ensure that the Chinese government come into compliance with internationally recognized workers’ rights. The petition argues that the Chinese government’s repression of workers’ rights is costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States and distorting global labor markets. The AFL-CIO asked the USTR to impose trade remedies on China to offset the unfair and illegitimate cost advantage that comes from repression of workers’ rights.

“The Bush Administration appears to have decided that it does not need to enforce the trade laws that Congress has put in place. Instead, it is continuing to pursue an all talk and no action policy with the Chinese government on the crucial issues of workers' rights violations and currency manipulation,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “The three-sentence rationale that appeared in today's Federal Register completely avoids the substance of the very serious allegations in our petition and gives no legal basis for refusing to even investigate the charges we made,” continued Sweeney.

Also today, the AFL-CIO accepted the invitation of China’s Vice Premier Wu Yi to travel to China to investigate Chinese working conditions. The Vice Premier extended the invitation during trade talks with the Bush Administration here in April. In a letter to the Vice Premier, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney accepts Yi’s invitation.

“I would request that in addition to meeting with you and other government officials, our delegation be given the same freedom of movement in China afforded the numerous delegations from China that visit the United States each year,” requested Sweeney in the letter. The AFL-CIO offered to travel as early as this August.

Copies of the letter from the AFL-CIO to Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi are available by calling 202-637-5018.

Contact Sarah Massey 202-637-5018