ILO Liaison Officer's Speech at the MTUF (Myanmar Trade Union Federation) Conference

Speech by Steve Marshall, ILO Liaison Officer in Myanmar, to the MTUF Conference.

Statement | Yangon, Myanmar. | 26 April 2014
GOOD MORNING

THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO JOIN YOU TODAY.

IT IS VERY EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF A CONFERENCE LIKE THIS IN MYANMAR TODAY­ WHILE WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT WE ARE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE REFORM AND TRANSITION PROCESS, THE FACT THAT WORKER ORGANIZATIONS, FREELY ESTABLISHED AND INDEPENDENT IN THE IR ACTIVITIES CAN JOIN TOGETHER IN SUCH A WAY IS AN INDICATION OF THE CHANGE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN RECENT YEARS.

TRADE UNIONS, OR LABOUR ORGANIZATIONS AS THEY ARE CALLED UNDER MYANMAR LAW, ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY AND ANY MARKET ECONOMY.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE REDUCTION OF POVERTY, IS DEPENDANT ON THE ABILITY OF ALL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY HAVING AND TAK ING THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER FOR BOTH THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE BENEFIT.

DECENT WORI< IS FUNDAMENTAL TO SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO WHAT IS DECENT WORK? -IT IS EMPLOYMENT, FREELY CHOSEN, UNDERTAKEN IN SAFE AND HEALTHY CONDITIONS, UNDER A LEGAL FRAMEWORK WHICH RESPECTS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS; AND WHICH IS BASED ON SOCIAL DIALOGUE.

MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SOCIAL DIALOGUE BUT NOT SO MANY REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS OR HOW IT WORKS. SOCIAL DIALOGUE IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION- ABOUT EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS TALKING WITH E.'\CH OTHER ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM . IT IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHERS POSITIONS SO THAT THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAVE TOGETHER CAN / BE BUILT ON.

EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS WILL NOT ALWAYS AGREE- THAT IS A FACT OF LIFE. BUT ONE THING THAT ITHINK THEY CAN ALWAYS AGREE ON IS THAT THE EMPLOYER NEEDS HIS/HER WORKERS AND THE WORKER NEEDS HIS/HER EMPLOYER. AN EMPLOYER WANTS THE BUSINESS TO BE EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE- TO SURVIVE IN EITHER THE DOMEST IC OR GLOBAL MARKET HE MUST BE COMPETITIVE AND TO REMAIN IN BUSINESS MUST BE PROFITABLE. A WORKER WANTS TO HAVE A JOB WHICH IS SATISFYING, WHICH IS SAFE AND WHICH PROVIDES THE INCOME NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE LIFESTYLE HE/SHE WANTS FOR HIMSELF/HERSELF AND FOR HIS/HER FAMILY.

THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE WAY IN WHICH EITHER THE EMPLOYER OR THE WORKER CAN FULLY ACHIEVE THEIR SEPARATE OBJECTIVES IS BY RECOGNIZING THE COMMON INTEREST THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THEM AND AGREEING ON HOW THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES .

TRADE UNIONS ARE THE WORKER ORGANIZATIONS ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT THE WORKERS IN SOCIAL DIALOGUE -ASSISTING WORKERS INTHEIR PLANNING AND ACTING AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COLLECTIVE WORKERS AS AND WHEN NECESSARY IN CONSULTATION AND NEGOTIATION WITH THE EMPLOYER .

BUT SOCIAL DIALOGUE DOES NOT ONLY TAKE PlACE AT AN ENTERPRISE OR COMPAJNY LEVEL. IN MANY INSTANCES DIALOGUE BETWEEN WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS AT A SECTOR OR INDUSTRY LEVEL CAN BE VERY VA LUABLE- FOR 60TH PARTIES. SOCIAL DIALOGUE AT SECTOR LEVEL CAN FOR EXAMPLE BE USED EFFECTIVELY TO RESOLVE ISSUES OF DIFFERENCE WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO THE WHOLE SECTOR, TO DEVELOP NEW INITIATIVES IN SUCH AREAS AS VOCATIONAL TRAINING OR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH AND TO PREPARE JOINT ADVOCACY MESSAGES FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT ON POLICY MATTERS OR FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION. REPRESENTATIVE TRADE UNIONS AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE AN IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY IN ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY.

AND EVEN FURTHER THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL DIALOGUE IS CRITICAL TO THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPROPRIATE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK TO GOVERN THE LABOUR MARKET. OF COURSE THE PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PUT IN PLACE THE NECESSARY LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN THE WAY WE LIVE AND WORK. IT HAS HOWEVER BEEN SHOWN THROUGH EXPERIENCE GLOBALLY THAT DEVELOPING AND REFINING THOSE LAWS BY WAY OF CONSULTATION WITH EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS THROUGH THEIR REPRESE NTATIVE ORGANIZATIONS RESULTS IN A MORE PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK OF LAW WHICH IS BETTER ABLE TO BE APPLIED AND WHICH IS 'OWNED' BY ALL.

OF COURSE IN MYANMAR WE ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNINGS OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS- THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO,BUT GOOD FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING LAID. WHILE IT IS HUMAN NATURE FOR PEOPLE TO WANT EVERYTHING TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY THE REALITY IS THAT IT WILL TAKE TIM E TO BUILD ON THOSE FOUNDATIONS THE NECESSARY STRUCTURES AND RELATIONSHIPS .

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL PARTIES- THE GOVERNMENT, THE EMPLOYERS AND THE WORKERS ­ RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE TO THEMSE LVES, TO THOSE AROU ND THEM AND TO THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE OF DOING THIS PROPERLY.

WE ARE IBELIEVE AT A CROSSROADS - WE CAN RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION WE ARE IN AND WORK COOPERATIVELY TOGETHER TO CREATE A LABOUR MARKET THAT IS BASED ON UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT AND COOPERATION THROUGH SOCIAL DIALOGUE (AS ISAID BEFORE THERE WILL OF COURSE BE DIFFERENCES BUT WE MUST TRY TO WORK THOSE OUT TOGETHER) -OR WE CAN IGNORE THE REALITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENT WE ARE IN, BE DRIVEN BY SHORT SITGHTED SELF INTrRrST A ND RISK CREATING AN ENVIRONMI:N I Ul- CUNI-LICT WIIICIIIN THE LONG RUN WILL PROVE DAMAGING FOR ALL.

PLEASE DO NOT GET ME WRONG - IAM NOT S UGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD ACCEPT THINGS AS THEY ARE NOW- WE OF COURSE SHOULD BE STRIVING TO MAKE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT - MY POINT IS THAT WE NEED TO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES AND
CONC IOUSLY ADOPT AN APPROACH IN OUR DEALINGS WITH EACH OTHER THAT WILL CONSTRUCTIVELY MOVE US AHEAD.

THE ILO STANDS AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH ALIL OF THE LABO UR MARKET PARTNERS TO THIS END.

AGAIN CONGRATULATION ON THE HOLDING OF THIS CONFERENCE AND IWISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS .

THANK YOU.