The opening ceremony of Fourth National Stakeholders Forum for Implementing the Decent Work Agenda and Labour Law Reform was held at Park Royal Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
Union Minister U Thein Swe of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population said in his opening speech: “The meeting aims to receive the technical assistance which is essential to implement the decent employment programme and amendment to labour laws and by-laws as a priority of the State. In order to make any other necessary changes in labour affairs that need to be prioritized, it also aims for all the stakeholders such as the government, the employers and the employees, the international economic enterprises, the development partners, the international non-governmental organizations, the international organizations, the international labour organizations, and the experts to discuss and decide the future programme to be carried out.”
The first-day session will discuss the major role of promoting the decent employment programme through appropriate legal framework and good practices to empower the social dialogue on policies and workplaces.
The second-day session will discuss the amendment to the labour laws and by-laws and the technical assistance programme as an immediate priority.
He added that the government, the employers’ and employees’ organizations, the ILO have drafted the Decent Work Country Programme – DWCP 2018-2021 in line with the ILO standards, the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as the requirement of the State. It is now being undertaken with the help of the development partners.
Forced labour cases like under age recruitment and recruiting of those without consent have been handled by the National Complaint Mechanism and the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting UNCTFMR. World societies and the ILO should have confidence and cooperate in this implementation.
The number of social insurance workers was increased up to 1.46 million in January 2020. That is why, in order to expedite in providing the social insurance workers with their benefits, the Social Security Board has been undertaking the reform programme with the ILO technical assistance as well as with the fund assistance of development partners.
Three five-year projects have been carried out for eradication of child labour, with the help of the US. A 15-year project is now being undertaken with the National Committee led by the Vice President and 8 Working Committees. In honour of the ILO Centenary, the formal ratification process is underway after the Hluttaw’s approval on the Minimum Age Convention (138).
Certificates of registration have been issued to a total of 2990 employees’ organizations and 29 employers’ organization from 2012 to 2019.
Our ministry would like to express our deepest thanks to the ILO, the International Organizations, the Development Partners and donor countries among others. All the stakeholders and meeting participants should discuss and give good advice and suggestions on the matters of future reform programme and technical assistance, he urged.
Next, Deputy Director-General Mr Greg Vines of the ILO, EU Deputy Resident Representative Ms Eszter Nemeth, Ambassador Mr John Nielsen of Denmark to Myanmar, Deputy Chief of Mission Mr George Sibley of US Embassy and UN Resident Coordinator (Acting) Ms Xiaojie Fan gave their remarks at the meeting.
The forum will continue until 25 February.
MNA
(Translated by Aungthu Ya)
PHOTO: MNA
Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar