MADE in Myanmar Project - EU must stop supporting military junta’s rule11 July, 2023IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe are reiterating their call for the EU to withdraw support for the MADE in Myanmar project, which effectively funds Myanmar’s military junta, as well for the withdrawal preferential tariffs under the Generalised System of Preferences. EU citizens and public funds should not be used to benefit the military junta, nor should they be associated with an EU-funded project where workers are threatened, dismissed or arrested without cause. Read the full statement.
Global unions meet representatives of Myanmar National Unity Government 16 June, 2023On 14 June, IndustriALL Global Union, ITUC and BWI met with Myo Min, union minister for the Ministry of Human Rights for the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar and vowed to continue to support the fight for a return of democracy in the country. The NUG is the democratically elected government that was overthrown in the military coup of February 2021.
Military breaks strike in Myanmar garment factory 15 June, 2023Military crackdown on striking workers and subsequent arrests at a factory producing for Spanish fashion giant Zara yet again make it blatantly clear that freedom of association is impossible in Myanmar.
European Parliament must do everything in its power to end military rule in Myanmar9 May, 2023Ahead of the debate and vote on 10 and 11 May on a Resolution on Myanmar, the fourth since the military coup of February 2021, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe have written a letter to the European Parliament. The military junta in Myanmar has escalated its repression of democratic forces. The European Parliament must do everything in its power to end the military junta’s rule and return democracy to the people of Myanmar.
How can H&M justify its presence in Myanmar? 4 May, 2023Swedish fashion giant H&M’s ESG record is better than many of its peers and the company’s responsible business practices has cemented a constructive relationship with IndustriALL. And yet H&M refuses to stop sourcing from Myanmar, a military dictatorship where unions are banned and foreign exchange are used to buy weapons. At today’s AGM, IndustriALL raised the question with the company.
Urgent need for mandatory due diligence 4 May, 2023The 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse on 24 April was the starting point of a week-long advocacy with garment union leaders from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and Tunisia. The delegation met with the ILO in Geneva, politicians in Berlin and the EU Parliament and Commission in Brussels to discuss the continued campaign on safe factories and the need for mandatory due diligence.
Human rights due diligence is not possible in Myanmar1 May, 2023More than two years after the military coup in Myanmar, the situation for the people, and the workers, is getting worse. May Day is a day when we raise our voices for workers’ rights and against violations – human rights due diligence is not possible under Myanmar’s military dictatorship and companies must plan a responsible exit from the country.
Due diligence legislation must be strong to protect workers - the EU can help make this happen 27 April, 2023Meeting with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), trade union leaders from the textile and garment sector in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Tunisia called for mandatory and strong due diligence legislation and Europe’s support to prevent a tragedy like the Rana Plaza disaster from ever happening again.
Myanmar unions condemn EU garment sector initiative18 April, 2023Trade unions in Myanmar condemn the EU-funded MADE in Myanmar project, which claims to support the garment manufacturing sector by replacing unions with employer-selected “workers’ representatives”.
Framework for a responsible business disengagement from Myanmar22 February, 2023IndustriALL Global Union and a number of garment brands with operations in Myanmar have jointly developed a framework for a responsible exit from the country.
