The NZCTU supports the people of Burma in their struggle for democracy and human rights in their country. We actively support the work of our partner organisation the Federation of Trade Unions Burma (FTUB), and we are currently cooperating to develop a project for Burmese migrant workers' rights in Thailand.
On this page:
--- Background [1] --- Saffron Revolution [2] --- Events [3] --- International News [4] --- CTU News [5] --- Archived Campaign News [6]
In Burma today, absolute political and economic control is maintained by a military dictatorship calling itself the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The systematic abuse of workers' and human rights includes the routine practice of forced labour.
The majority of people in Burma live in rural areas, living as small farmers and agriculture workers. These workers and farmers are suffering under a state monopoly on rice trade that is driving them into poverty and starvation. Land confiscation without compensation is widespread, and villagers are forced to work for the army or act as "porters" on dangerous expeditions.
Workers in state run factories earn as little as US$3 in a month, which is insufficient to feed a family even for a week. Families are struggling to survive, with children and parents forced to work long hours of overtime or several jobs just to get enough to eat.
The SPDC regime not only denies workers a living wage, it has declared unions illegal and announced that the FTUB is a "terrorist organisation". This has not stopped union activists from risking their lives to organise workers and farmers in the struggle for their basic rights. The FTUB has recently managed to coordinate two campaigns inside Burma for the livelihood workers and farmers; one for a fair price for rice to pull farmers out of poverty, and a second campaign by factory workers for a US$1 a day minimum wage.
[7]
Saffron Revolution anniversary - Sept 08
On September 15 2008 the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions together with the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma held an exhibition in Wellington (NZ) on Burma to mark the first anniversary of the Saffron Revolution. Development of the exhibition was funded by NZ Aid through the Global Education Fund.
Click here to view the twelve panels that were on display at the exibition [7].
[14]2008 - LRN Demands Release of Burmese Unionists [14] - November 2008. Burma's military regime—months after the brutal crackdown against monks and workers seeking democracy—continues to imprison Myo Aung Thant, a prominent Free Burma Campaign Links [29]
Burmese Migrant Workers in Thailand
Other
The New Zealand Government needs to urge the United Nations to take a strong stand against the military regime in Burma, Saw Min Lwin, a visiting Burmese trade unionist said today.
Saw Min Lwin, the secretary of trade union rights and human rights for the Federation of Trade Unions in Burma who is currently in Wellington, is to join a delegation of 30 of his countrymen and women at Parliament today to deliver a letter to the Prime Minister. "In my country, thousands of farmers have had their land confiscated by the regime, many more work under forced labour, families live in the forests to hide from the soldiers and thousands more are forced to live in refugee camps outside Burma." The convention being held by the regime to draw up a new constitution is a fraud, Saw Min Lwin said. The National League for Democracy (NLD) which has been prevented from taking office after winning elections over a decade ago is not participating because its leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest, party members are in jail and all offices except for the headquarters are closed. Other political parties who also had success at the elections are not taking part in the convention because the regime denies freedom of expression. Saw Min Lwin said the letter, in line with the ILO Resolution of 2000, would ask the Government to urge the UN for economic sanctions against the regime and for the UN to be directly involved in talks to solve Burmas political problems. "We want to tell Miss Clark about our concern for the people in Burma who face oppression and abuse of their human rights at the hands of the regime," he said.
Brussels, 20 April 2005 (ICFTU OnLine): The ICFTU and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) today urged the European Union (EU) to take stronger measures against the Burmese military regime, when it reviews its "Common Position" on Burma in the coming days.
Citing continued use of forced labour and a range of other major human rights violations by the junta, the trade union bodies wrote today to EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. In their letter*, the trade union bodies called on the EU to order an end to investment and other business involvement in Burma by EU-registered companies, including financial transfers and transactions, and to ensure that arms produced in EU Member States are not sold to Burma by third countries. The union move follows stringent criticism of the Burmese regime by the UN Commission on Human Rights last week, as well as a strong statement last March by the Governing Body of the International r Office (ILO), which confirmed that measures adopted by the ILO Conference in 2000 remained fully in place and that the "wait and see" attitude of many ILO Members had "lost its raison d?tre". While international trade union organisations are concerned that current EU measures against the Burmese junta are themselves inadequate, the ICFTU understands that certain EU Member States are opposed to a strengthening of these measures. *Letter to EU Commissioner http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991221553&Language=EN The ICFTU represents 145 million workers in 233 affiliated organizations in 154 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a partner in Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0210 or +32 477 580 486 (mobile)
Who Profits and How It Works
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) today released a new report on business with Burma. The 28-page document, entitled "Doing Business with Burma",concentrates on investment in and trade with Burma and shows how foreign business relationships with Burma - by large and small multinational companies - generate vast profits for the countrys military dictators.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) today released a new report on business with Burma. The ICFTU simultaneously released an updated version of its Burma company database, which now contains the names of some 440 multinational companies, adding over 40 new names. Burma is the only country in the world for which the international trade union movement calls for disinvestment. The newest ICFTU report on investment and trade with Burma is essentially a research overview,based on facts and details complied from over 40 different sources (news items, reports by governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations and individual researchers). It demonstrates conclusively that investing in Burma is not possible without the agreement of the junta. It also shows how the regime systematically steers business operations, especially the most profitable, towards joint ventures with state-owned companies. The "secretive and corrupt" business environment in Burma lacks all forms of transparency, according to the report. Whether or not companies are directly owned by the military makes no real difference. Where the former are owned by the army, many of the latter are owned by high ranking military figures, in their "private capacity", or by their relatives and cronies. Over the last 15 years the military dictatorship in Burma has moved itself into a position of virtual control over all aspects of the business sector. Figures quoted in the report indicate an overall reduction in investment in Burma over the last few years. More and more people, companies and countries are recognising that investing in or trading with Burma makes no sense - either in moral nor in business terms. Regrettably, a small number of neighbouring countries, in part because of regional power-plays, refuse to follow that trend. Business interests from China,India, Thailand and some of the other neighbouring ASEAN countries are stepping in where others are moving out. The report provides numerous concrete examples of what the Burmese junta spends the income on, for example over 40% of its national budget goes to military expenditure. It also recalls the armys responsibility for a host of human rights abuses, including the widespread and continuing use of forced labour. The report also highlights what the government does not do with the money, spending only 0.3% of GDP on health care. Among the many different topics covered by the report, the ICFTU also addresses issues such as corruption, transparency, drug traffic and arbitrary taxation, as well as the juntas bogus claims that economic sanctions affect "18 million workers". The ICFTU has also updated its list of companies with business links to Burma. This list now contains the names of around 440 multinational enterprises. The addition of new companies is the result of continuous research, and not an actual indicator of increased corporate interest in Burma. Some of the better known new names are China PetroChemical Corp. (Sinopec), China Telecom, Lloyds of London, Rolls Royce and the State Bank of India. Many large multinational companies have left the country over the last few years. However, some companies, such as South-Koreas Daewoo International, Austrian Airlines, SWIFT (Belgium), Total (France), Unocal (USA), Suzuki (Japan) or Ivanhoe Mines (Canada) still maintain their links with Burma. As a country, Burma continues to be one of the worst human and workers rights offenders in the world. In spite of some minor positive steps in recent years, partly the result of international pressure, very little has fundamentally changed in the way the Burmese dictators treat their citizens. Claims of progress made by the military have been merely cosmetic, and are followed by a new wave of brutal repression. This repression includes violence against religious and ethnic minorities, forced relocation, beatings, child labour, rape and murder. All of them continue on a daily basis. A high number of political prisoners remain in prison. Forced labour, one of the largest problems, is still routinely resorted to by the military. The database on companies linked to Burma, including specific information for each company, as well as background information on this initiative, can be found on the ICFTU web site at:http://www.global-unions.org/burma The report on multinationals companies and Burma can be found here:http://www.icftu.org/www/PDF/Burma-ICFTUReport-January.pdf The ICFTU represents 148 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0232 or +32 476 621 018.
Brussels, 31 March 2005 (ICFTU Online): The ICFTU, together with the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), today strongly criticised the European Commission over its planned "Burma Day 2005". In a letter to External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?index=991221444&Language=EN the union bodies expressed their deep concern over the contents of the report prepared for the meeting, authored by well-known opponents of strong international pressure on the Burmese military junta.
The exclusion from the European Commission event of most groups campaigning for democracy in Burma is also singled out for criticism. The ICFTU/WCL/ETUC while supporting a 2004 European Union decision on the provision of humanitarian aid to the Burmese people, are calling for strong international sanctions against the Burmese military and an end to foreign business dealings with the country, which is notorious for its suppression of emocracy, widespread use of forced labour and violations of other rights. "Burma Day 2005" is a missed opportunity to look at how humanitarian aid could be delivered and used to strengthen civil society in the country, and seems instead to be aimed at removing much-needed pressure on the Burmese junta. The trade union organisations also express their disappointment at the position taken by the European Union at the March meeting of the governing body of the UNs International Labour Organisation. In the ILO discussion, the EU once again postponed taking a decision on whether to support trade union calls to strengthen measures on Burma adopted by the ILO in 2000. This attitude is all the more surprising given the increasing disquiet amongst Burmas ASEAN neighbours over the prospect of the Burmese military junta assuming the rotating ASEAN Presidency in 2006. Stressing their commitment to supporting genuine humanitarian work in Burma, the union bodies are calling upon the European Commission to revise the p ogramme for "Burma Day 2005", and to "ensure that biased events of this kind are not allowed to happen again". The ICFTU represents 145 million workers in 233 affiliated organisations in 154 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a partner in Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0206 or +32 476 621 018.
Who Profits and How it Works
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) today released a new report on business with Burma. The 28-page document, entitled "Doing Business with Burma",concentrates on investment in and trade with Burma and shows how foreign business relationships with Burma - by large and small multinational companies - generate vast profits for the countrys military dictators.
The ICFTU simultaneously released an updated version of its Burma company database, which now contains the names of some 440 multinational companies, adding over 40 new names. Burma is the only country in the world for which the international trade union movement calls for disinvestment. The newest ICFTU report on investment and trade with Burma is essentially a research overview,based on facts and details complied from over 40 different sources (news items, reports by governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations and individual researchers). It demonstrates conclusively that investing in Burma is not possible without the agreement of the junta. It also shows how the regime systematically steers business operations, especially the most profitable, towards joint ventures with state-owned companies. The "secretive and corrupt" business environment in Burma lacks all forms of transparency, according to the report. Whether or not companies are directly owned by the military makes no real difference. Where the former are owned by the army, many of the latter are owned by high ranking military figures, in their "private capacity", or by their relatives and cronies. Over the last 15 years the military dictatorship in Burma has moved itself into a position of virtual control over all aspects of the business sector. Figures quoted in the report indicate an overall reduction in investment in Burma over the last few years. More and more people, companies and countries are recognising that investing in or trading with Burma makes no sense - either in moral nor in business terms. Regrettably, a small number of neighbouring countries, in part because of regional power-plays, refuse to follow that trend. Business interests from China,India, Thailand and some of the other neighbouring ASEAN countries are stepping in where others are moving out. The report provides numerous concrete examples of what the Burmese junta spends the income on, for example over 40% of its national budget goes to military expenditure. It also recalls the armys responsibility for a host of human rights abuses, including the widespread and continuing use of forced labour. The report also highlights what the government does not do with the money, spending only 0.3% of GDP on health care. Among the many different topics covered by the report, the ICFTU also addresses issues such as corruption, transparency, drug traffic and arbitrary taxation, as well as the juntas bogus claims that economic sanctions affect "18 million workers". The ICFTU has also updated its list of companies with business links to Burma. This list now contains the names of around 440 multinational enterprises. The addition of new companies is the result of continuous research, and not an actual indicator of increased corporate interest in Burma. Some of the better known new names are China PetroChemical Corp. (Sinopec), China Telecom, Lloyds of London, Rolls Royce and the State Bank of India. Many large multinational companies have left the country over the last few years. However, some companies, such as South-Koreas Daewoo International, Austrian Airlines, SWIFT (Belgium), Total (France), Unocal (USA), Suzuki (Japan) or Ivanhoe Mines (Canada) still maintain their links with Burma. As a country, Burma continues to be one of the worst human and workers rights offenders in the world. In spite of some minor positive steps in recent years, partly the result of international pressure, very little has fundamentally changed in the way the Burmese dictators treat their citizens. Claims of progress made by the military have been merely cosmetic, and are followed by a new wave of brutal repression. This repression includes violence against religious and ethnic minorities, forced relocation, beatings, child labour, rape and murder. All of them continue on a daily basis. A high number of political prisoners remain in prison. Forced labour, one of the largest problems, is still routinely resorted to by the military. The database on companies linked to Burma, including specific information for each company, as well as background information on this initiative, can be found on the ICFTU web site at:http://www.global-unions.org/burma The report on multinationals companies and Burma can be found here:http://www.icftu.org/www/PDF/Burma-ICFTUReport-January.pdf The ICFTU represents 148 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0232 or +32 476 621 018.
Burma: Fresh ICFTU evidence of forced labour ahead of crucial ILO meeting Brussels, 12th November 2004 (ICFTU OnLine): As the Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) prepares to discuss the Burma situation next week, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has released new evidence of forced labour taking place in various parts of the country. For the fourth time since last June, the ICTU has provided concrete examples of forced labour of various types, including road construction, military camps building and maintenance, carrying of army supplies and ammunition, agricultural work and many others. In its 4-page letter to the ILO, the ICFTU provides dozens of examples from Karen, Arakan and Chin States, as well as from the Pegu, Tennasserim and Sagaing Divisions. Some of the forced labour took place as recently as mid-October 2004. The ICFTU information is based on data collected by the Federation of Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB), an underground workers organisation active inside Burmese territory and maintaining office and training structures in neighbouring countries. Three FTUB leaders and activists were sentenced to death one year ago, after the authorities discovered they were supplying information about forced labour to the ILO. Although their sentences have since been reduced to prison terms, they remain in detention to-date. Their cases will feature prominently in next weeks ILO discussions. Several Burmese army commanders are identified by name in the new ICFTU report [32]. In Tenasserim Division, one Colonel Soe Thet, of the 4th Centre of Strategic Command, is reported to have ordered nearly 300 people from ten different villages to work on the construction of a paved road. The road building contract had been awarded to a Thai construction firm; the ICFTU is presently investigating the matter in cooperation with the Geneva-based International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW). At least 12 army officers commanding Infantry Battalions deployed in six different states are mentioned by name in the report. The include Commander Win Oo, of Infantry Battalion n?39, who last May detained four women and their children in the Bawgali area (Pegu Division, in Central Burma) when his soldiers failed to find villagers to carry loads for his unit. They were brought to a local police station and released only the following day, after nine male villagers came out of hiding; the men were then ordered to carry heavy equipment to Koh Day army camp. The ICFTU said it saw continuing widespread forced labour as strong grounds for a reinforcement of measures adopted by the ILO against Burma in June 2000. It said it would at the same time urge the ILO Governing Body to press the Burmese junta to allow for an expansion of ILO monitoring operations in Burma. The ILO Liaison Office in Rangoon has received dozens of complaints by citizens subjected to forced labour. Although the government has so far systematically denied that the cases took place, the ICFTU said citizens had been encouraged by the ILO presence in the country.
Links:
[1] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/free-burma#background
[2] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/free-burma#Saffron
[3] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/free-burma#events
[4] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/free-burma#internationalnews
[5] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/free-burma#ctunews
[6] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/free-burma#archived
[7] http://union.org.nz/campaigns/first-anniversary-of-the-saffron-revolution
[8] http://union.org.nz/event/2008/burma-exhibition-marking-saffron-revolution
[9] http://union.org.nz/event/2007/a-day-of-international-action-for-a-free-burma
[10] http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00082.htm
[11] http://union.org.nz/event/burmaDVDJune192007
[12] http://union.org.nz/node/1627
[13] http://union.org.nz/events/330_20051205.html
[14] http://www.laborrightsnow.org/burma.html
[15] http://union.org.nz/88-generation-students-statement-feb-2008
[16] http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA160412007
[17] http://www.icem.org/en/184-Fourth-ICEM-World-Congress/2485-ICEM-Congress-Closes-with-Strong-Motions-on-Burma-Iraq
[18] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIzc3R-_eYM
[19] http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article1520
[20] http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?rubrique177
[21] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deCo_ZBSk-U
[22] http://union.org.nz/news/2008/joint-call-by-ctu-and-national-council-for-the-union-of-burma-for-generous-support-to-burma-cyclone-relief
[23] http://union.org.nz/news/2007/brave-actions-of-burmese-people-must-be-backed-up-by-the-global-community
[24] http://union.org.nz/news/860.html
[25] http://union.org.nz/news/423.html
[26] http://union.org.nz/news/299.html
[27] http://union.org.nz/news/298.html
[28] http://union.org.nz/news/267.html
[29] http://union.org.nz/resources/burma_links.html
[30] http://union.org.nz/resources/thailandvisit.html
[31] http://www.cityu.edu.hk/searc/WP71_04_Arnold.pdf
[32] http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991220741&Language=EN