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Myanmar Trade Unions Call for Comprehensive Economic Sanctions

The situation in Myanmar has calmed down. But the country and its people continue to suffer from the violent reprisals of the military. Speaking to the international trade union federation IndustriALL, trade union president Khaing Zar explains why internal resistance alone is not enough.

The Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar (CTUM) calls for comprehensive economic sanctions against the country and isolation of the military regime by the international community. CTUM is part of the 16-member trade union alliance that represents the entire trade union movement in the country.

"There are no rights for trade unions without political freedom," said trade union leader Khaing Zar, president of the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) and board member of CTUM.

“Our trade unions cannot work. Many of our union leaders have been arrested or submerged after arrest warrants were issued against them. Collective agreements have been terminated. Employers share names, images and personal data of union members with the military. They exploit the situation to get rid of permanent workers and employ casual workers for less than the minimum wage in unsafe factories without protection against coronavirus.

Global brands investing in Myanmar have not done enough to protect workers. The lives of the workers will not improve unless we abolish this regime. To achieve this, we must deny them access to all resources. If they don't have money, they can't buy weapons to shoot people, and they will lose control.

The CTUM had originally published the boycott call in a message to the international trade union movement on May 1 and asked for support for the "fight against and expulsion of the regime".

The global trade union alliance IndustriALL questioned the legitimacy of the military regime at the International Labour Conference. In June, the ILO adopted a declaration calling for a return to democracy. IndustriALL member organisations participated in a series of solidarity actions, and the Executive Committee adopted a solidarity statement in April.

Myanmar adopted a new constitution in 2009 and had a civilian government from 2012 until the military coup on 1 February 2021. Under the civilian government, trade unions have made significant progress despite significant challenges. CTUM achieved important improvements in minimum wage and working hours.

In November 2019, IMFM and IndustriALL negotiated guidelines on freedom of association, which were recognized by the ACT member brands and covered 200 factories and 130,000 employees. This arrangement ensured that employers respected the right to peaceful demonstrations.

On February 1, the military couped and blamed the voter fraud. They arrested the president, party officials and other public figures. This provoked massive resistance, and a movement of civil disobedience largely paralyzed the country. The military responded with brutal repression. More than 900 people have been killed, over 10,000 have been arrested, and many more have to hide. About 250,000 people were displaced within the country. With the spread of the pandemic, the military has monopolized the supply of oxygen and thus triggered a health crisis.

The trade union movement in Myanmar believes that a combination of internal resistance and external solidarity and pressure is needed to overthrow the regime. The international community must isolate the regime, end diplomatic and business relations, and recognize the Government of National Unity as the legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar.

IndustriALL Secretary General Valter Sanches said:

The courage and actions of the people of Myanmar, who risk their lives every day to overthrow the military dictatorship, are impressive. In order to win this battle, the demands of Myanmar's trade unions must be taken seriously and implemented internationally.

The military dictatorship must be excluded from the UN bodies and the international community, the Government of National Unity must be recognized. This must be implemented immediately at the upcoming UN General Assembly by all international governments that respect democracy and fundamental human and trade union rights.

It is also crucial to turn the cock on the dictatorship through comprehensive sanctions.

We will continue to engage in solidarity actions with our member organisations and global trade unions until democracy and respect for human rights are restored in the country."

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The text was published in English original Published on the IndustriALL homepage on 22 July 2021.

Photo: CC IndustriALL Global Union