By Hsu Latt Phyu - Dec 15, 2023
The network of civil society organizations and labor organizations on Myanmar migrant workers has urged for the rights of migrant workers, including the cancellation of the Military Council's decree that 25% of the basic wages of foreign migrant workers must be returned to their families.
In the announcement of the International Migrant Workers' Day, which falls on December 18th, officials in the country of origin and the country of destination concerned about the rights of migrant workers in Myanmar. It includes 9 points of advice to employers and recruitment agencies.
"There are 9 main demands, the most important of which is that migrant workers must return 25% of their basic salary to their families. Migrant workers have the right to manage their own salary and income. It is a basic right of migrant workers that whether they would transfer 25% of their income or not to their families. It's interpreting their management rights, so we're appealing for that to be canceled," said an official of the network.
Other requests such as to protect violations and exploitation against migrant workers, especially women, face violent exploitation, to protect people from being trafficked, to reduce inequalities, achieve full labor rights standards, to facilitate legal migration channels for domestic workers, to provide the necessary support for the safe return of women migrant workers who are suffering in foreign countries due to illegal brokers and to take effective action against brokers and agencies who violate ethics and laws in accordance with the law are also appealed.
"Nowadays, people are migrating not as domestic workers, but because of the situation in their own country, people choose to migrate. Women go to work as domestic workers, although it is not banned anymore, but because they do not do it in the process of getting an MOU, the women who migrate, mainly in the Middle East, suffer a lot. It's women who are suffering, and that's why, to be honest, the legal way to send them has to be done so that they can go to work safely with evidence," said the official.
Currently, due to the various conditions in Myanmar, more and more workers are migrating to work abroad, and there are many people who are suffering abroad due to the lack of legal protections.
Therefore, to enact laws and protect marine time workers and domestic workers to enjoy the same labor rights as other workers, to provide compensation for damages and other necessary services for migrant workers who become disabled due to various reasons are also included in the statement.
The network of civil society organizations and labor organizations on Myanmar migrant workers issued that migrant workers are important workers for socio-economic development and to overcome the main challenges such as lack of employment opportunities; unemployment, Lack of skill development opportunities, weak education system, differences in language and culture, they are trying to increase opportunities for migrant workers, such as education and social protection, skills training programs and safe and healthy social environments whether they are legal or illegal migrants,
