So, hard to know if this will lead anywhere but it’s a positive, and comes from an odd place in certain respects.

A member of the conservative side of politics in Australia wants to block so-called “free trade” with China unless it abides by minimum workers’ rights standards [behind the pay wall of the Australian Financial Review]:

Australia would be forbidden from striking a free trade deal with its largest trading partner, China, under a bill from influential Victorian Democratic Labour Party senator John Madigan which is before the federal Parliament.

The senator will be one of several conservative MPs the Abbott government will rely on to pursue its legislative agenda from July when the make-up of the Senate changes.

Senator Madigan has put up a Fair Trade (Workers’ Rights) Bill which aims to ensure Australia strikes deals only with countries which agree to ­minimum standards protecting workers’ rights.

The bill specifically nominates a number of conventions a country must have ratified before a minister can sign a deal.

China has not ratified some of them, including those on freedom of association and the right to organise and bargain collectively, despite the country being a member of the International Labour Organisation since 1919.

Senator Madigan’s private member’s bill has been opposed by the Business Council of Australia but backed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.

Senator Madigan said on Monday the passage of his bill would make it difficult to do any free trade deal with China but that was not his concern.

I suspect that is more anti-China than pro-worker. We’ll see if it gets anywhere.