“To the extent that Western brands have pulled out unquestionably this has given carte blanche to factories to drive down labor conditions and increase violations of Burmese labor law and trade union rights,” said Dave Welsh, Myanmar country director of labor rights...
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[Radio Free Asia] As Chinese Money Flows in, Myanmar Garment Factory Conditions Worsen
The withdrawal of Western brands from Myanmar “doesn’t mean that production is ceasing--it’s sort of the opposite,” said Dave Welsh, the Myanmar country director for Solidarity Center, a labor rights organization. “You have all kinds of nefarious actors that are more...
Myanmar Union Activists Assaulted, Detained by Military
Two women unionist activists in Myanmar were assaulted and arrested late last week after the taxi they were traveling in was rammed by a military vehicle in eastern Yangon. According to eyewitnesses at the scene, six soldiers exited a military vehicle after ramming...
[The Diplomat] Fighting Back: Trade Unions in Thailand and Myanmar (podcast)
"Dave Welsh, country director for Thailand and Myanmar of the Solidarity Center, spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt about growing support for independent trade unions as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to punish regional economies, forcing businesses to...
Union Leader Elected to Myanmar People’s Council on Eve of Coup Anniversary
As Myanmar’s military junta marks the first year of its overthrow of the country’s democratically elected government February 1, delegates to a national unity assembly seeking to establish civilian control and return the country to democracy elected a five-member...
[Sourcing Journal] Myanmar’s ‘Deteriorating’ Labor-Rights Crisis Grows More Dire
David Welsh, Southeast Asia country director of the Solidarity Center, a labor nonprofit, told Sourcing Journal. “Trade unions are a crucial component of civil society in Myanmar and are facing systematic assault across the board. Garment sector brands in Myanmar...
Podcast: Myanmar Workers Stand Up for Democracy
After the military overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in February, the country’s garment workers, most of them young women, were the first to stand up to defend their right to a free and peaceful society. Since then, workers have led peaceful...
Myanmar Workers Stand Up for Democracy!
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Two Women Union Leaders Arrested in Myanmar; Total Now 20+
Two union leaders in Myanmar recently have been arrested for their participation in pro-democracy rallies, and unions worldwide are calling for governments to halt trade and other financial support that provide backing to the country’s military government. The total...
Myanmar Workers Shut Down Country to Demand Democracy
Nurses, doctors and other health workers rallied in central Myanmar over the weekend, despite the government’s brutal repression against workers peacefully protesting for an end to the military coup launched on February 1. Military and police have killed at least 249...
Workers Killed in Myanmar as Crackdown Intensifies
At least two union members were confirmed killed by the Myanmar military this week and at least six workers were shot dead at the Xing Jia shoe factory in the Hlaing Thar Yar industrial zone Tuesday, according to union leaders. The factory workers, including the woman...
Myanmar: Unions Organize General Strike as Military Violently Cracks Down
Trade unions shuttered workplaces and brought thousands of people to the streets Monday in Myanmar, mobilizing a general strike as part of their continued resistance to the military takeover of the government on February 1. In a statement calling for a nationwide...
Myanmar Garment Workers Stand Strong, Win New Pact
Workers at the Myan Mode garment factory in Myanmar (Burma) are celebrating the return to the job of many recently fired union members. Following a two-month fight against the factory’s attempt to use COVID-19 to destroy their union, they won an agreement May 30 that...
Myanmar Factory Uses COVID-19 to Union Bust
While workers around the world scramble for physical and economic safety amid the global pandemic, some factory owners in Southeast Asia see the crisis as an opportunity to attack workers’ unions to increase profits and deny worker voice. On March 28, the Myan Mode...
Thousands of Myanmar Workers Rally for Fair Labor Laws
Thousands of workers marched in downtown Yangon, Myanmar, to demand fair labor laws as parliament appeared poised to pass legislation that would diminish worker rights. “Respect our right to unionize!” shouted a march leader. “We want it! We want it!” thronged the...
Can Myanmar’s Garment Sector Reach Its Full Potential?
The Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association must begin to see international institutions and NGOs as allies in the effort to show just how the industry is moving toward greater compliance. The ILO and U.S. Solidarity Center can be of immense help… Not only do they have the professionals Myanmar needs to move ahead, they have the credibility Myanmar lacks.
Myanmar, Turkmenistan Failing U.S. Trafficking Standards
Myanmar (Burma) and Turkmenistan do not meet minimum standards to address human trafficking and are making no attempts to do so, according to the 2018 U.S. State Department’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report released today. The report, which ranks countries based on...
Through Union, Myanmar Factory Janitor Sees Improved Benefits
Hello. I am Daw Tin Tin Thein. I am 43 years old. I have worked in this factory for nine years. I am responsible for sanitation and garbage collection in this factory. It means I am responsible for keeping this factory clean and tidy. I have been a member of the trade...
Myanmar Janitor Takes Pride in Keeping Factory Tidy
Daw Tin Tin Thein, 43, works in a factory just outside Yangon, Myanmar's capital, where workers ground and mold clay for building materials like floor and roof tiles. Thien, a janitor, beams with pride when she describe how she is responsible for "keeping the factory...
Defying Challenges, Myanmar’s Workers Win Crucial Labor Rights
A Solidarity Center website article was republished.