By Ma Ma - Jan 24, 2025

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labour, U Win Shein, revealed on January 22 that some members of workplace coordination committees (WCC) at certain factories and workplaces are failing to engage in negotiations to resolve labour disputes.

The WCC is mandated under labour law to be formed in workplaces employing large numbers of workers, with the purpose of mediating and resolving labour-related disputes. Additionally, trade unions can also be formed under the law. However, workplaces with trade unions are becoming increasingly rare.

In practice, WCCs formed in factories and workplaces are often created according to the wishes of employers and are reportedly involved in actions that violate workers' rights.

“We don’t know when or how the WCC was formed. We don’t even know who the members are. The people in the WCC act as if it has nothing to do with them while rights violations are happening. Now, they’re dissolving all the trade unions and setting up only employer-biased committees,” said a factory worker.

Reports sent to Myanmar Labour News indicate that in cases of rights violations, WCC members do nothing to defend workers’ rights and instead take the side of the employers.

“There’s no trade union in our factory, and the WCC works entirely according to the employer’s wishes. They don’t grant statutory leave. They don’t approve leave if we can’t work due to health or personal reasons. Instead, they terminate us for being absent for three consecutive days, which is illegal,” said a worker from JOYFUL (Myanmar) Garment Factory.

Currently, the Ministry of Labour is reportedly providing capacity-building training to members of the WCCs, as mentioned in a press release.