millions of world's poorest workers face new year misery

By staff writers

16 Dec 2004

Millions of world's poorest workers face new year misery

-16/12/04

One of the most sweeping acts of global liberalisation is about to be unleashed on some of the worldís poorest workers, with devastating consequences for the millions, mostly women, who are expected to lose their jobs says an aid agency.

In a hard hitting new report, Rags to Riches to Rags [0], Christian Aid [1] warns that unless urgent action is taken, millions of garment workers will lose their jobs ñ plunging them yet further into poverty and debt.

At midnight on December 31st 2004, the World Trade Organisation [2] will scrap the quota system that governs the global clothing and textile trade, ending at a stroke 30 years of protection for one of the developing worldís staple industries.

From New Yearís Day 2005, the Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) will go and the new rule will be 'survival of the fittest', says the aid agency.

A recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) study stated that 27 million workers across the world could lose their jobs.

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