[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 71 (Thursday, April 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19206-19207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5515]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Request for Information Concerning Labor Rights in Malaysia and 
Its Laws Governing Exploitative Child Labor

AGENCIES: Office of the Secretary, United States Department of Labor; 
Office of the United States Trade Representative and Department of 
State.

ACTION: Request for comments from the public.

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SUMMARY: This notice is a request for comments from the public to 
assist the Secretary of Labor, the United States Trade Representative, 
and the Secretary of State in preparing reports regarding labor rights 
in Malaysia and describing the extent to which it has in effect laws 
governing exploitative child labor. The Trade Act of 2002 requires 
reports on these issues and others when the President intends to use 
trade promotion authority procedures in connection with legislation 
approving and implementing a trade agreement. The President assigned 
the functions of preparing reports regarding labor rights and the 
existence of laws governing exploitative child labor to the Secretary 
of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the United 
States Trade Representative. The Secretary of Labor further assigned 
these functions to the Secretary of State and the United States Trade 
Representative, to be carried out by the Secretary of Labor, the 
Secretary of State and the United States Trade Representative.

DATES: Public comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. May 30, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Persons submitting comments are strongly advised to make 
such submissions by electronic mail to the following address: 
[email protected]. Submissions by facsimile may be sent to: Howard 
R. Dobson, Office of International Economic Affairs, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, at (202) 693-
4851.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions regarding the 
submissions, please contact Howard R. Dobson, Office of International 
Economic Affairs, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. 
Department of Labor, at (202) 693-4871, facsimile (202) 693-4851. These 
are not toll-free numbers. Substantive questions concerning the labor 
rights report and/or the report on Malaysia's laws governing 
exploitative child labor should be addressed to Gregory K. Schoepfle, 
Acting Director, Office of International Economic Affairs, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-4887, facsimile 
(202) 693-4851.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background Information

    On March 8, 2006, in accordance with section 2104(a)(1) of the 
Trade Act of 2002, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
notified the Congress of the President's intent to enter into free 
trade negotiations with Malaysia. The notification letters to the 
Senate and the House of Representatives can be found on the USTR Web 
site at: http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Letters_to_Congress/2006/asset_upload_file337_9180.pdf.
    On March 22, 2006, USTR announced its intention to hold a public 
hearing on May 3, 2006, for the interagency Trade Policy Staff 
Committee (TPSC) to

[[Page 19207]]

receive written comments and oral testimony from the public to assist 
USTR in formulating positions and proposals with respect to all aspects 
of the negotiations (71 FR, 14558) (March 22, 2006). USTR intends to 
launch the negotiations in June, 2006.
    The Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210) (the Trade Act) sets forth 
special procedures (Trade Promotion Authority) for approval and 
implementation of Agreements subject to meeting conditions and 
requirements in Division B of the Trade Act, ``Bipartisan Trade 
Promotion Authority.'' Section 2102(a)-(c) of the Trade Act includes 
negotiating objectives and a listing of priorities for the President to 
promote in order to ``address and maintain United States 
competitiveness in the global economy'' in pursuing future trade 
agreements. The President assigned several of the functions in section 
2102(c) to the Secretary of Labor. (E.O. 13277). These include the 
functions set forth in section 2102(c)(8), which requires that the 
President ``in connection with any trade negotiations entered into 
under this Act, submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a 
meaningful labor rights report of the country, or countries, with 
respect to which the President is negotiating,'' and the function in 
section 2102(c)(9), which requires that the President ``with respect to 
any trade agreement which the President seeks to implement under trade 
authorities procedures, submit to the Congress a report describing the 
extent to which the country or countries that are parties to the 
agreement have in effect laws governing exploitative child labor.''

II. Information Sought

    Interested parties are invited to submit written information as 
specified below to be taken into account in drafting the required 
reports. Materials submitted are expected to be confined to the 
specific topics of the reports. In particular, agencies are seeking 
written submissions on the following topics:
    1. Labor laws of Malaysia, including laws governing exploitative 
child labor, and that country's implementation and enforcement of its 
labor laws and regulations;
    2. The situation in Malaysia with respect to core labor standards;
    3. Steps taken by Malaysia to comply with International Labor 
Organization Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor; and
    4. The nature and extent, if any, of exploitative child labor in 
Malaysia.
    Section 2113(6) of the Trade Act defines ``core labor standards'' 
as:
    (A) The right of association;
    (B) The right to organize and bargain collectively;
    (C) A prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory 
labor;
    (D) A minimum age for the employment of children; and
    (E) Acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, 
hours of work, and occupational safety and health.

III. Requirements for Submissions

    This document is a request for facts or opinions submitted in 
response to a general solicitation of comments from the public. To 
ensure prompt and full consideration of submissions, it is strongly 
recommended that interested persons submit comments by electronic mail 
to the following e-mail address: [email protected]. Persons making 
submissions by e-mail are expected to use the following subject line: 
``Malaysia: Labor Rights and Child Labor Reports.'' Documents must be 
submitted in WordPerfect, MSWord, or text (.TXT) format. Supporting 
documentation submitted as spreadsheets is acceptable in Quattro Pro or 
Excel format. Persons who make submissions by e-mail need not provide 
separate cover letters; information that might appear in a cover letter 
is expected to be included in the submission itself. Similarly, to the 
extent possible, any attachments to the submission are expected to be 
included in the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate 
files. Written comments will be placed in a file open to public 
inspection at the Department of Labor, Room S-5317, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, and in the USTR Reading Room in Room 
3 of the annex of the Office of the USTR, 1724 F Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20508. An appointment to review the file at the 
Department of Labor may be made by contacting Howard R. Dobson at (202) 
693-4871. An appointment to review the file at USTR may be made by 
calling (202) 395-6186. The USTR Reading Room is generally open to the 
public from 10 a.m.-12 noon and 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
Appointments must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance.

    Signed at Washington, DC this 7th day of April 2006.
James Carter,
Deputy Under Secretary for International Labor Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-5515 Filed 4-12-06; 8:45 am]
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