News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar
Individual Documents
Description:
"Document GB.300/8 has reported on the application of the Supplementary Understanding
(SU) signed between the ILO and the Government of Myanmar on 26 February 2007 up to
the end of September 2007. As this addendum reports on the period from 1 October 2007,
it also covers the period following the civil unrest. In particular, it attempts to assess the
impact of recent events on the application of the SU.
At the time of writing, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, Mr Ibrahim
Gambari, was still in the country addressing the issues raised by the international
community. The Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Mr Sergio Pinheiro,
was due to arrive on 11 November 2007, following the Government of Myanmar’s
agreeing to receive a visit from him prior to the ASEAN summit.
As of 7 November 2007, 56 complaints had been recorded as received by the Liaison
Officer. Four new cases have been received since the end of September. An updated copy
of the register of cases will be made available to this session of the Governing Body.
During the period 20 September to 10 October (the civil protest period) no complaints
were received. It is probable that persons who have been involved in transmitting
complaints have been discouraged, or detracted, by the public protest activity and the
measures taken by the Government to counter the protests.
The four new complaints that have been recently received are of a different nature than the
previous general pattern. One is an allegation of forced labour directly resulting from the
protest activities and concerns the authorities’ requirement for ready access to bus
transport to meet their potential need for rapid deployment of personnel. One relates to an
alleged breach of article 9 of the SU through the detention and harassment of persons
involved in the making and facilitation of forced labour complaints. Two allegations
concern the forced military recruitment of minors. These complaints have been assessed by
the Liaison Officer, in the manner foreseen by the SU, and referred to the responsible
Government Working Group for investigation and appropriate action. Their receipt has
been acknowledged, and responses are duly awaited. The Liaison Officer has also recently..."
Source/publisher:
International Labour Organisation (ILO) - GB.300/8(Add.)
Date of publication:
2007-11-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
27.85 KB
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Description:
"This paper sets out to understand how trade liberalization particularly impacts employment in the Global South by looking at the case of Myanmar. The paper is divided into five succinct parts that
contribute to analysing to what extent trade liberalization through out Myanmar’s economic and political changes. Based on the findings of this paper, there are five key areas that shed light on the linkages
between trade and employment in Myanmar. These five areas include, (i) trade, structural transformation and employment, (ii) informality of the economy (iii) trade and global value chains integration (iv)
productivity (v) and wages, income inequality and working conditions.
The first section looks at the structural transformation of the economy, which is best described by Myanmar’s shift from an agrarian economy to an industrialized economy. Consequently, the shares of
industry and services sector to total GDP have increased overtime but the growth in the agriculture sector is not strong as others due to constraints such as high production cost, low productivity, low quality
products and lack of value chain integration. Moreover, data indicated how the garment sector experienced positive employment when export value of garment sector increased by threefold. Secondly,
the significance of the informal sector is demonstrated in how it employed about 81.9 per cent of total
labour force in 2017 and at least over 40 percent of Myanmar's imports from neighbouring country come
through informal channels. The World Bank's enterprises survey data (2016) confirmed that informal
firms in Myanmar have lower sales per worker (labour productivity) compared to firms in formal sector.
Therefore, based on previous findings, it can be assumed that workers in formal sector in Myanmar,
especially from export-oriented firms have gained more because of trade openness.
Furthermore, there is a need to invest in job-friendly global value chains which can be primarily done
through attracting FDI to diverse job-intensive sectors helping SMEs engage in GVCs is key to creating
quality jobs. This shows that foreign capital is not automatically generating better working conditions and
the host government play critical role in making sure better working environment and protecting
venerable workers not to be exploited. Based on the facts and discussions, this study recommends a
strong coordination among stakeholders and institutes with clear objectives to response present changing
dynamics in trade context as well as social security provisions to make sure benefits go to workers as
well..."
MIN ZAR NI LIN
Source/publisher:
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Date of publication:
2018-08-31
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
612.68 KB
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Description:
"Country baselines under the ILO Declaration Annual Review are based on the following elements to the extent they are available:
governments’ reports, observations by employers’ and workers’ organizations, case studies prepared under the auspices of the country and
the ILO, and observations/recommendations by the ILO Declaration Expert-Advisers and by the ILO Governing Body. For any further
information on the realization of this principle and right in a given country, in relation with a ratified Convention or possible cases that have
been submitted to the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, please see: http://webfusion.ilo.org/public/db/standards/normes/libsynd..."
Source/publisher:
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Date of publication:
2018-05-18
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
International Labour Organisation (ILO), News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar, Labour issues in Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
249.44 KB
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Description:
"Tourism is a key driver of socio-economic progress in Myanmar and it’s expected to provide over two million new jobs by 2020. In order to assist Myanmar in further developing the tourism sector and its workforce, the ILO launched the “Scaling up STED: Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification” project with a focus on tour guides. The ILO’s STED project facilitated cooperation among all stakeholders involved in the tourism sector and helped to create competency based standards for tourist guides..."
Source/publisher:
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Date of publication:
2017-05-04
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Description:
GENEVA – In a historic move, delegates attending the International Labour Conference (ILC) have voted to lift all remaining ILO restrictions on Myanmar.
The remaining restrictions, imposed by the Conference in 2000, included the need to discuss Myanmar?s application of the ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No.29) at special sittings of the ILC, and a recommendation to ILO constituents to review their relations with the country.
The ILC had already suspended some restrictions on Myanmar when it met last June.
The ILO restrictions were initially introduced in 1999 and 2000. They were based on article 33 of the ILO Constitution, which the organization invoked for the first time in its history..."The restrictions were related to the country?s non compliance of the ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No.29)..."
Source/publisher:
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Date of publication:
2013-06-18
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
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Description:
"On 18 December 2013, the Government of the Republic of Myanmar deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182). Myanmar is the 178th ILO member State to ratify this instrument, which calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, trafficking, the use of children in armed conflict, the use of a child for prostitution, pornography and illicit activities (such as drug trafficking) as well as hazardous work..."
Source/publisher:
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Date of publication:
2013-12-19
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
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Description:
"Burmese army personnel suspected of using forced labour will be prosecuted under civilian law, according to senior military chiefs who met with representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Rangoon last week.
?The Commander in Chief has given instruction that military personnel are similarly covered to all other persons by the law concerning forced labour,? said Steve Marshall during an interview with DVB. ?[He] indicated that persons alleged to have utilised forced labour will be prosecuted under the penal code rather than military regulations....."
Hanna Hindstrom
Source/publisher:
Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)
Date of publication:
2012-05-09
Date of entry/update:
2012-05-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar
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Description:
"A UN body tasked with pushing for workers? rights and an end to forced labour in Burma has been granted access to conflict zones in the country?s border regions that for years have been largely off-limits to international monitoring groups.
The agreement means the International Labour Organization (ILO) becomes one of the first overseas bodies to begin sustained operations in the volatile areas where Burma?s government has been battling ethnic armies.
To the surprise of many observers, the defence ministry, widely depicted as hostile to the nascent reform programme in Burma, has also endorsed the move, which comes amid a push by Naypyidaw to persuade rebels groups to sign ceasefires.
Steve Marshall, head of the ILO office in Rangoon, says the ministry?s signature on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed in March is ?very positive and very telling?, particularly given that the ILO will be directly addressing abuses carried out by the army.
He adds that not only will the defence ministry give the green light for the ILO?s work in conflict zones, but that it ?has agreed to be an active partner? in the application of plans laid down by the group..."
FRANCIS WADE
Source/publisher:
Democratic Voice of Burma
Date of publication:
2012-04-05
Date of entry/update:
2012-04-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
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Description:
Eine kontroverse Diskussion zur Wirksamkeit internationaler Sanktionen (UNO; USA; EU; ILO) in Burma/Myanmar nach den Aufständen von 1988; der Einfluss Aung San Suu Kyis; die Rolle westlicher NGOs; Fallstudien zu Burma/Myanmar, Sudan, Südafrika
A study on the efficacity of intnernational sanctions after the protests of 1988; the influence of Aung San Suu Kyi; the role of western NGOs; case studies of Burma/Myanmar, Sudan, South Africa
Sina Schüssler
Source/publisher:
Zentrum der Konfliktforschung der Philipps-Universität Marburg
Date of publication:
2006-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2007-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Sanctions - general, Sanctions, About Aung San Suu Kyi, News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar, General articles on activism
Language:
German, Deutsch
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Description:
"Burma was on collision course in March with the one world organization that has the power to do real harm to Rangoon?s military regime.
Days before the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization, or ILO, was slated to decide how to compel the regime to end its alleged widespread practice of forced labor, a senior government official in Rangoon told the organization in so many words: ?Mind your own business.?
...Scenes like this anger the ILO...
The confrontational statement, by Rangoon?s Labor Department Director-General Soe Nyunt, was sure to fire anger at the ILO session in Geneva, where members of the Governing Body were considering how to react to Rangoon?s earlier displays of non-cooperation and open defiance..."
Jim Andrews
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 3
Date of publication:
2005-03-00
Date of entry/update:
2005-08-29
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
News about the ILO and Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
more