UnionAID welcomes the landmark decision by the International Labour Conference to adopt a resolution under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution, holding the Myanmar military junta accountable for its grave and persistent violations of workers’ and human rights.
This historic action represents the strongest possible stance available to the ILO and sends a powerful message that the international community will not tolerate the systematic suppression of workers’ rights and fundamental freedoms in Myanmar.
As an organisation committed to supporting workers’ collective action and rights across the Asia-Pacific region, we stand in full solidarity with Myanmar’s trade union movement and civil society organisations who have bravely resisted military rule since the 2021 coup.
We echo the powerful words of Phyo Sandar Soe, Assistant General Secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM): “This victory belongs to every worker who stood in the shadow of fear yet chose to resist. Article 33 is not just a resolution; it is our hope for dignity, freedom, and a better life.”
UnionAID Chair, James Ritchie said, “This historic decision by government, employer and union representatives from 187 countries highlights the importance of our project with the CTUM to rebuild labour rights in Myanmar. Workers’ rights are human rights!”
We commit to continuing our support for Myanmar’s trade union movement and supporting our Myanmar Young Leaders Programme alumni who continue to work for positive change.
The struggle for democracy and workers’ rights in Myanmar is far from over. UnionAID remains committed to supporting our partners until workers can freely organise, bargain collectively, and participate in democratic governance without fear of persecution.
In solidarity,
The UnionAID whānau
UnionAID is currently supporting a Capacity Building for Myanmar’s Workers project with CTUM. This initiative aims to strengthen the trade union movement through developing curricula for trade union training, forming a training team to deliver education to 500 CTUM members, and training 15 educators who can share their knowledge with other workers.
