Fairtrade?

Well, the Executive Committee didn't come to a definitive agreement about our election leaflet on Saturday - some doubts about the wording and the figures, so it is all still under discussion. I thus cannot bring you the text just yet.

I can, however, bring you a letter I sent to The Guardian this morning, in response to this letter.

Dear Friend,

in talking about minimum wage levels and working with employers Ian Bretman of the Fairtrade Foundation (letters 07/03/05) illustrates the futility of his own organisation.

How can trade based upon people being compelled to sell their ability to work or otherwise face poverty possibly be fair?

Their only answer is to ask other workers forced into similar prostitution of their skills to subsidise exploiters. That is, they stand for a redistribution of poverty.

We should be setting our sights higher - to the abolition of the wages system and exploitation, not trying to fix it.

Only through common ownership - not so-called Fairtrade - we will really be able to abolish poverty once and for all.

Bill Martin (Socialist Party)