Myanmar to promote, protect labour rights

Myanmar has pledged to promote and protect labour rights, including ending forced labour and stronger enforcement of child labour law in the country, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population said on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry invited all interested partners to join with the government in its efforts to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on labour-related issues, Xinhua news agency reported.

Labour Minister U Thein Swe called on the employers to respect the rights of workers in accordance with the Labour Law while pursuing their own interest, urging them to maximise their workplace efficiency and hone their skill in their chosen areas of work.

He also called on the labour organisations to help workers in line with the law, disclosing that plans were underway to guarantee workers international workplace standard, including in-house training, social security, healthcare, good labour relations and fair hearing on labour dispute.

He underlined that with cooperation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other partners, Myanmar has made significant achievements in areas of eliminating forced labour and promoting freedom of association.

He added that the decent work programme has been implemented in Myanmar.

Myanmar saw 1,917 labour organisations at basic level, 105 at township level and 14 at region or state level, seven labour federations and one labour confederation.

--IANS

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