November 24, 2024
The National Unity Government (NUG), led by the Ministry of Labour, welcomed the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) decision to take action against Myanmar’s military junta under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution. This decision was announced by the three-point representative group of employers and workers on November 23, 2024.
In August 2023, the ILO Commission of Inquiry (COI) submitted a report urging the military junta to comply with the ILO’s 109th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) held in 2021. The junta’s continued violations of fundamental labour rights and human rights, including ILO’s recommendations, prompted the ILO Governing Body to decide against providing technical cooperation and collaboration with the junta, and to take action as per the ILO Constitution, Article 33.
The junta has been found to violate essential ILO conventions, particularly Convention No. 87 (1948) on the freedom of association and Convention No. 29 (1930) on forced labour. The NUG has emphasized the importance of swift and effective punitive measures against the junta and pledged to continue working with international partners to ensure accountability.
The NUG has further committed to striving for Myanmar’s participation in the ILO’s legal framework during the 113th International Labour Conference in June 2025. The government of Myanmar, represented by the NUG, will continue efforts to earn official recognition from the ILO and seek support for the establishment of a federal democratic union.
The NUG stresses the need for the ILO and its member countries, as well as international labour unions and employer groups, to collaborate in restoring fundamental labour and human rights that Myanmar’s people have lost since the military coup in February 2021.
