International Labour Organization Condemns Myanmar's Junta for Violation of Workers' Rights

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan

June 13, 2025

HRRC commends the ILO’s bold invocation of Article 33 against Myanmar’s junta and stands in firm solidarity with workers fighting for their rights. We condemn the junta’s continued repression and urge global actors to end all ties that enable its brutal regime.

[Image credit: Myanmar Workers Group via The Workers Rights]

In a historic move, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has invoked Article 33 of its Constitution against Myanmar’s military junta for grave and ongoing violations of international labor standards. Article 33 of the ILO states that if a member doesn't follow the recommendations, the Governing Body can suggest actions to ensure compliance. The decision was made at the 113th Session of the International Labor Conference (ILC), held in Geneva on June 5, 2025.

This is just the third occasion in the ILO's 100-year history that Article 33 has been invoked, emphasizing the seriousness of the junta's systematic persecution of trade union rights. The two earlier examples included Myanmar in 2000 and Belarus in 2023.

Since the coup on February 1, 2021, the junta has engaged in numerous atrocities, including forced labor, torture of union leaders, the detention of at least 69 trade unionists, and the repression of civil society. Despite straightforward recommendations by the ILO's 2023 Commission of Inquiry, the regime has failed to cease violence, free jailed workers, or abolish forced and underage labor.

The resolution urges ILO member states, employers, and labor groups to evaluate and cut any financial, logistical, and commercial relations with the junta. This involves assessing investments, armaments, jet fuel supply, and collaborations with military-related enterprises.

Despite resistance from China, Russia, Belarus, and Laos, the resolution was adopted by consensus. Maung, the founder of the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM), stated that the objective is to politically and economically isolate the junta, encouraging the international community to impose "smart sanctions" against military-linked enterprises and investors.

Labor organizations, including IndustriALL and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), hailed the legislation. "This is a moment of reckoning," claimed ITUC, while Atle Høie of IndustriALL declared, "The world will not stay silent in the face of systematic and persistent violations of workers' and human rights".

However, the junta criticized the resolution as politically motivated, accusing the ILO of violating its tripartite principles. It claimed to be working with the ILO and warned that the resolution could harm workers by preventing foreign investment and job opportunities. Despite these denials, the junta continues to violate Convention No. 87 (Freedom of Association) and Convention No. 29 (Eliminating Forced Labor).

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Glossary

• Armaments: Weapons or military equipment.

• Atrocities: Cruel or violent acts that cause harm or suffering.

• Commend: To praise or express approval of someone or something.

• Condemn: To strongly criticize or disapprove of someone or something.

• Consensus: A general agreement among people or groups.

• Convention: A meeting or gathering of people with a shared interest.

• Detention: The act of holding someone in jail, prison, or custody for punishment or oppression.

• Enterprises: Businesses or organizations that are involved in commercial activities.

• Grave: Serious or severe.

• Impose: To force or require someone to accept or do something.

• IndustriALL: A global trade union with more than 50 million workers across 140 countries.  

• Invoked: To call upon or appeal to a higher authority or power.

• Invocation: A call or appeal for help, support, or guidance.

• Junta: A small group of people who control a government or organization.

• Legislation: Laws or rules made by a government or authority.

• Persistent: Continuing to exist or occur over a long period.

• Persecution: Treating someone unfairly or cruelly because of their beliefs, identity, or actions.

• Reckoning: The act of calculating or settling accounts, or a time of reckoning when past actions are judged.

• Repression: The act of suppressing or controlling people's thoughts, feelings, or actions.

• Sanction: A penalty or punishment imposed on someone who has broken a rule or law.

• Solidarity: Unity or agreement among people who support each other.

• Systematic: Done according to a plan or system, often in a thorough and efficient way.

• Trade union: An organization of workers that represents their interests and negotiates with employers.

• Tripartite: Involving three parties. 

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Sources

1. https://eng.mizzima.com/2025/06/08/23192 

2. https://www.just-style.com/news/ilo-myanmar-human-rights/ 

3. https://www.industriall-union.org/historic-step-towards-justice-ilo-adopts-article-33-resolution-on-myanmar

4. https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C029#:~:text=The%20illegal%20exaction%20of%20forced,adequate%20and%20are%20strictly%20enforced.

5. https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312232

6. https://guide-supervision.ilo.org/defending/practice-on-the-use-of-article-33-of-the-ilo-constitution/