Trade Agreements: Gulf States
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed UK–Gulf Cooperation Council trade agreement on (a) labour standards in partner countries and (b) what steps were taken to ensure that the agreement does not undermine UK employment protections or make UK companies at risk of being complicit in labour rights abuses.
Answered by Chris Bryant
The Government is a staunch defender of worker protections and has made clear that we will not compromise on these through our FTA programme.
As part of the UK-GCC FTA, we are seeking commitments which reaffirm our international obligations at the International Labour Organisation, including a safe and healthy working environment, freedom of association and the elimination of forced labour.
Nothing in the potential agreement will supersede or undermine UK domestic legislation or employment protections. Additionally, UK companies operating in the GCC are bound by UK legislation, including the Modern Slavery Act, which has extraterritorial reach.
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