REPORTED BY AH NGAE HTWE TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY AUNG KHIN+ MYA
With the emergence of Dawei Deep Seaport and Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport, some special economic zones will come into view soon. In this connection, plans are underway to form an association for the protection of labor welfare, according to a responsible person of UMFCCI.
An advocate said, “The formation of an association that can protect the welfares of labors is very important. The government alone cannot look after the interests of workers, but the workforce should have the rights to protect themselves and to ask for their necessities.”
Article 24 of the 2008 State Constitution reads the Union shall enact necessary laws to protect the rights of workers. Therefore, the authorities have planned to form this association. Moreover, some experts are of the view that the enactment of laws are required to protect the welfares of workers; that the stipulation of eligible laws are pivotal at the time when further foreign investments are possible to enter the country.
Advocate U Than Maung said, “There were many labor laws in Myanmar during the rule of British. The present labor law in the country is from the eras of parliament democracy system during the post-independence period and socialist government. These laws are no more compatible in present open-door economic policies and globalization. Although some articles of this law were amended, they become outdated at present. The existing labor law is controlled by the “Law Defining the Fundamental Rights and Responsibilities of the People's Workers (1964)”. Under this law, the older laws were reiterated as bylaws. Although some law articles act as the overseas job finding law, the labor laws relating with investment sector is still weak in Myanmar.”
Although the laws for inland oil exploration were suitable for the past, they have been no stipulated laws for offshore oil and natural gas exploration and mines. These sectors are being operated by the laws that foreign investors brought in.
U Than Maung continued, “Some foreign businesspersons have invested in offshore fields. They brought in the laws from their countries. They employ the workers from their countries. They came in, work here, and went out the country through the sea. Myanmar workers are also working at these projects. However, they do not know whether
they are concerned with domestic law or foreign labor law. They do not understand to what extent they relate with the foreign laws, and what are the rights of Myanmar workers. Such confusions are occurring at natural gas and mineral exploration sectors. As no specific labor laws have been prescribed in the country, the laws for welfare of government employees are temporarily used for the labors. Therefore, the rights of workers should be promoted through an effective labor law.”
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