Foreign ministry state secy holds talks with health workers union on TTIP

Budapest, July 20 (MTI) – Istvan Mikola, a foreign ministry state secretary, held talks with representatives of the health workers’ union on the proposed TTIP free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union on Monday.

This has been the government’s 49th round of talks related to TTIP, Mikola said after the meeting, adding that the Union of Health and Social Workers (MSZ-EDDSZ) was the first trade union with whom talks were held on the planned agreement.

It is important for the government to hear the opinion of trade unions and civil groups, said Mikola, who is in charge of international cooperation.

MSZ-EDDSZ leader Agnes Cser and Mikola agreed that not only the economic interests of EU member states, but the interests of EU workers and civil organisations should also be protected in the course of the TTIP negotiations.

Cser noted that the United States had approved but two of the major labour conventions, those banning child labour and slave trade, while the EU and Hungary had adopted eight ones. The union leader stressed that all the eight conventions should be approved during the talks.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters