Look. I'm not trying to start another pointless struggle session. Far from that, I want each and every one of us to confront this most strange attempt at multilateralism by two of our favourite existing socialisms.

There's no substantial article on the environment. Not a single word on climate or pollution. And nothing on labour issues.

I get that the whole thing is brand new and the member countries will probably amend to add more to the document in later stages.

But now is the point the heads of governments go back to their respective legislative body for ratification. Again, nothing on labour, the environment or the climate.

I want us Chapos to confront the likelihood that existing socialist experiments are faltering, even abandoning, a key promise of socialism to workers: reducing work hours for more leisure time. That, and no idea how trade is going to connect to the climate crisis.

  • Civility [none/use name]
    2·
    4 years ago

    Most of chapter 10 is pretty bad but clause 7 seems particularly fucked

    Article 10.7:

    Senior Management and Board of Directors

    1. No Party shall require that a juridical person of that Party that is a covered investment appoint to a senior management position a natural person of any particular nationality.

    2. A Party may require that a majority of the board of directors, or any committee thereof, of a juridical person of that Party that is a covered investment, be of a particular nationality or resident in the territory of that Party, provided that the requirement does not materially impair the ability of the investor to exercise control over its investment.

    What does this mean for the program the CPC had going that every private company needed to have a certain number of CPC people on the board?

    • Awoo [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Sounds like they can force the board of directors to have party members and they can force the workforce to have party members but can't force senior management to be party members.

      1 is "Nobody can be forced to be in senior management of a specific nationality"

      2 is "People CAN be forced to be on the board of directors of a specific nationality"

      And there is no clause for the rest of the workforce therefore it is assumed allowed.

      In fact, the more I read it over... It doesn't affect it at all? The clause doesn't prevent forcing people into positions, it prevents forcing people based on requiring they be a specific nationality. You could force people based on being a CPC member and let the company pick whatever nationality they want? I am not a lawyer.

      This shit is really hard to parse though.

      • Civility [none/use name]
        2·
        4 years ago

        Yah, the PRC is a party to the agreement tho, and every member of the CPC is a chinese national. I'm not seeing how that changes things.

        • skeletorsass [she/her]
          1·
          4 years ago

          It is about basis of nationality not organization. This has no impact on that policy. Legal interpretation is very strict.