Young people from Myanmar, with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), made significant contributions to raising awareness about occupational risks and hazards facing youth in the world of work during the 21st World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (XXI WCSH) that took place in Singapore in September 2017. The XXI WCSH youth delegates from Myanmar included several young workers, one young government OSH inspector from the Factory and General Labour Laws Inspection Department (FGLLID) of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population (MOLIP) and a representative of Social Care Volunteer Group (SCVG), a local youth-driven, not-for-profit membership-based civil society organization (CSO) working for welfare and development of vulnerable and marginalized youth in Myanmar. The team of nine youth delegates from Myanmar were selected from amongst more than 350 applicants worldwide to participate in  establishing a new international network of 125 young workers, young employers, young government officials and others aged 15 – 24 from 29 countries during the SafeYouth@Work Congress organized by the ILO at the invitation of the XXI WCSH International Organizing Committee (IOC) and in close collaboration with the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MoM).

SafeYouth@Work Congress

During the XXI WCSH, the Myanmar Youth Champions for OSH participated in international Design Thinking teams to develop their own prototype solutions to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) challenges facing youth in the world of work. For example, Aung Moe Thu from Myanmar collaborated with an international team of youth champions for OSH to develop “Safety Superheroes”, the prototype idea for an animated television show for children that would highlight workplace safety and health risks with the goal of educating children from an early age about the importance of making safe choices in the workplace. The prototype was highlighted by a panel of expert judges at the XXI WCSH for being an interactive and innovative starting point for further development, and was selected to be showcased and discussed in front of an audience of more than 800 expert delegates during the SafeYouth@Work Dialogue plenary session of the XXI WCSH. “I am proud and happy that our prototype was selected to be showcased during SafeYouth@Work Dialogue at the XXI WCSH”, said Aung Moe Thu.

SafeYouth@Work Media Competition

The ILO, in cooperation with the International Media Festival for Prevention (IMFP) and the XXI WCSH, organized the global SafeYouth@Work Media Competition, inviting young people from around the world to submit songs, stories, posters, drawings, photos, and films about the importance of safe and healthy work for youth. A total of 131 submissions from 20 countries were received, including 13 submissions from Myanmar. Two youth from Myanmar won prizes in the international competition.

Nyan Lin Htet from Myanmar won in the Poster category competition for 15 – 17 year olds with his work “Look, Think, Do”. “The key message that I want to convey through my poster is that it is very important to look for and understand workplace hazards and levels of risk, think about measures for prevention and do all the appropriate control measures. I am very proud to have been awarded a prize for my artwork in the SafeYouth@Work Media competition”, said Nyan Lin Htet.

Nyan Lin Tun from Myanmar won in the Song category for 18 – 24 year-olds with his melodic R&B-style hip-hop track “Safety First”, in which Nyan Lin Tun raps: “Everyone should keep the word ‘Prevention’ in their heart”. “I wrote this song based on a desire that all workers and their employers follow the applicable safety rules and regulations in their workplaces. This is important so that workers can go home from work every day to their families safely, healthily and happily to their families”, said Nyan Lin Tun.

Other entries by Myanmar youth that were shortlisted in the SafeYouth@Work Media competition included: The “Take care at your work!” film by Soe Thiha Aung (Myanmar), a student from the International Training Centre (ITC) Sinde, that compares unsafe with safe workplace practices;  “Avoid the electric shock!” a film by Hein Htun Lin (Myanmar) set to an energetic electronic music soundtrack that provides potentially lifesaving tips on electrical safety in the workplace; “Workplace Safety and Health Synergy” cartoon illustration by Nyan Lin Htet (Myanmar); “Do it. Youth” a bilingual illustrated guide to the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by Soe Nyi Nyi Tun (Myanmar); “Who is more important?” a humorous narrated cartoon about two pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) arguing about which one of them is most valuable in protecting young workers on the job; “Safety - especially for youth” an essay by Myo Myat Khaing (Myanmar) and the “Stay safe, be a happy family!”, series of safety illustrations by Hein Min Htet (Myanmar). “In Myanmar we see unsafe workplaces every day”, said Hein Min Htet about her shortlisted entry.

The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Mr. Guy Ryder participated with the Myanmar Youth Champions during the SafeYouth@Work Congress programme. Ms. Haymun Ei, a young OSH Inspector at the Factory and General Labour Laws Inspection Department (FGLLID) of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population (MOLIP) had the opportunity to interact directly with the ILO Director-General during his visit to the SafeYouth@Work Congress. “The interactive group work that I was able to participate in with Mr Guy Ryder and five other Youth Champions for OSH was extremely interesting. From a professional development perspective, I learned a lot about the expectations, requirements and opportunities for a young OSH inspector like me. By participating in the XXI World Congress on Safety and Health at Work with the support of the ILO, I also developed many useful new ideas and was really inspired by the Youth Champions for OSH from all over the world working together to build a new generation of safe and healthy workers”, said Ms. Ei of her experience.

To stay connected and continue to catalyse action to promote safe and healthy workplaces for young people in Myanmar, the XXI WCSH Myanmar Youth Champions for OSH have started their own social media group on Facebook, and are currently preparing their action plans for World Day on Safety and Health at Work on 28 April 2018 and beyond.

In order to help strengthen OSH systems and realise a culture of OSH prevention in Myanmar, the ILO together with its tripartite partners, is implementing a portfolio of OSH technical cooperation projects. In addition to the Youth4OSH Project and SafeYouth@Work Project, the ILO’s portfolio of OSH projects in Myanmar includes the Vision Zero Fund and the ILO-Korea Partnership on OSH. Meanwhile, other ILO initiatives in Myanmar that include components on OSH include the Labour Market Governance Project, the Improving Labour Relations for Decent Work and Sustainable Development in the Myanmar Garment Industry (ILO-GIP) Project, the Myanmar Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, and the Entrepreneurship Development and SME Support Project, amongst others.

Find out more about the achievements of Youth Champions for OSH from other countries, including Indonesia, Viet Nam, and the Philippines. The SafeYouth@Work Congress was organized by the ILO Youth4OSH  and SafeYouth@Work  projects, which aim to promote the occupational safety and health (OSH) of young workers, with a focus on those aged 15 to 24.