Federation of Trade Unions Myanmar (FTUM): Jun 9, 2011

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Dozens of Villagers Forced to Porter in Three Pagodas Pass

Wednesday, 08 June 2011 15:16 Independent Mon News Agency
By Independent Mon News Agency - Dozens of ethnic Karen from Aplon and Myaing Thayar villages in Three Pagodas Pass were forced to porter on June 6th by Burmese government troops.

These government troops, from the Light Infantry Battalion No. 373, commanded by the Western Command in Arakan State, took 10 villagers from Myaing Thayar village and forced these villagers to carry backpacks and baskets to Aplon village.

Explained by an Aplon villager by phone to the Independent Mon News Agency on Tuesday, once the troops and porters arrived in Aplon village, the [LIB No. 373] troops took 24 more porters in order to send them to Mae Sa Lee village.

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Villagers forced to serve as human shields and porters by Burmese soldiers

Wednesday, 08 June 2011 21:35 Kun Chan

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – One day after two people were killed by masked gunmen in Three Pagoda Pass in Mon State on the Thai-Burmese border, Burmese government troops have reportedly forced villagers to serve as human shields and porters, according to local residents.

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Forced labour complaints soar in Burma

Published: 8 June 2011

Many complaints about forced labour in Burma involve child soldiers (DVB)

Burma has seen a “dramatic” rise in complaints about forced labour owing to increased public awareness about the problem, a UN agency working in the country said Tuesday.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) branch in Rangoon has received 506 complaints since the start of 2010 – more than double the number seen during the previous three years.

“This dramatic increase can be put down to extensive awareness raising activity,” said the ILO’s Burma liaison officer, Steve Marshall, in an email to AFP.

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Striking factory workers in Pegu win demands

Wednesday, 08 June 2011

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Sixty-five Burmese workers in the Cap 1 Hat Factory in Hinthakon War in Pegu who staged a strike against overly strict factory rules have ended a one-day strike following successful negotiations with the Korean owner.

The agreement included demoting two foremen and relaxing regulations with regard to talking during work hours and going to the toilet.

Thin Thin, who took part in the strike, told Mizzima, ‘We reached an agreement. The factory authorities demoted the two foremen that we disliked, and they were transferred to the Rangoon branch’.

The workers issued their concerns on Saturday and went on strike on Monday. On Tuesday, the township authorities and officials from the Ministry of Labour in Naypyitaw met with the factory owner to mediate between the two sides to reach an agreement.

The workers also asked the management to clearly state overtime working hours.

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Trade Unions Co-ordination Meeting

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There was a coordination meeting of basic labour organizations, labour activists and legal experts at Myanmar Peace Center. Basic labour organization from different sectors such as industrial, agriculture, education and transport sector (altogether 31 unions Yangon Region, 6 unions from the Mandalay Region, 4 from the transport sector, 8 unions from the higher education) were involved in the meeting. It is coordination prior to a meeting to be hosted by the President, U Thein Sein with the workers and to come up specific points will be presented to the President. Issues on Labour related laws such as amendments of laws and implementing enforcement mechanism with punishment that will be preventive measure, issues on workplace disputes, working conditions and issues on migrant labour were discussed by the participants.

ILO- ACTRAV- ITC Training

FTUM and ILO ACTRAV-ITC Trade Union Training on Freedom of Association, Organization Strategies and Collective Bargaining Place; Golden Butterfly Hotel Date: 13-14, December, 2013 FTUM invited other non FTUM trade unions. Altogether 27 participants, 24 trade unions from different sector (IUF –Hotel union and agriculture, food, ITF- train and cargo handling, EI –university teachers, Industri All- township level labour organizations Household things, Garment, Plastic, Leather/Shoe, attended the training. Workers are introduced about how to bargain workers needs through collective bargaining system and to understand changing world of work and trade union’s important role. We, FTUM has been providing ILS through the ILO ACTRAV training to workers and trade unions since 2003.

I understand that the investors invest because they hope to profit from the ventures. Well, we agreed with that but we also hope to benefit from the investments ventures. Our country must benefit as much as those who have come in to invest that. So, please think deeply for us. I have been listening to many speakers in the forum. I was particularly struck by one comment, very simple comment that we have to look to the questions of corruption and inequality. I absolutely agreed with that. We have to try to eradicate corruption and inequality as we proceed to what greater investments. We do not want more investment to mean more possibilities of corruption. We do not want investment to mean greater inequality. We do not want corruption to mean greater privileges already privileged. We want investment to mean quite simply jobs as many jobs of possible. It is as simple as that. Job creation is extremely important in Burma and together with job creation must go training. The kind of training that will enable our unemployed young to take up jobs. Vocational Training, we need vocational training and non-formal education.

The World Economic Forum
May 30, June 1, 2012.

Bangkok, Thailand.

Changes in Myanmar – the Minister’s perspective

Myanmar's Union Minister at the Ministry of Labour, Aung Kyi, gives his thoughts on the way his country's reform process has moved so far, how the relationship with the ILO has evolved, and what the next steps might be. Our government sent the office one year ago. It has been undertaking a series of reforms such as National Reconciliation with all political parties, prevalence of peace with most of the armed ethnic groups, also for us, the multi-party democratic system and also we have enhancing the international co-operations, also holding the free and fair by-elections and so on.. So our intention, it may be called, we stretched on the continuation of these reformations to the remote areas to every villages, and every persons, ensuring that we would improve our health and education, as well as social issues according to our people-centre strategy adopted by our government last month. Key next step may be the improvement in socio-economy status of our country and the development of human resources. ILO's cooperation with our government could establish decent working conditions in Myanmar. That is improving, the working, and living conditions of our workers as well as the competitiveness. Our cooperation with ILO is very fine now. Much different from the past one or two decades when we neglected each other at that time but since 2002, we have more communication between ILO and Myanmar which developed to connection on 2007. After signing the supplementary understanding, and then when we are building those connections to become trust, the governing body chairman Ms.Juan Somovia, GB members, visit to our country. That is a feature that trusts because trust, so nowadays, the relations between ILO and Myanmar is prevailing everywhere. Everybody should recognize that we have already changed ourselves and I would like to ask any organization to see from the different perspectives, from the past. Thank you..

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Thursday, June 09, 2011

Dozens of Villagers Forced to Porter in Three Pagodas Pass

Villagers forced to serve as human shields and porters by Burmese soldiers

Forced labour complaints soar in Burma

Striking factory workers in Pegu win demands