In the aftermath of the military coup...the situations of the workers in Myanmar has deteriorated...The workers and union leaders who oppose the coup have been targeted by the military and faced with criminal charges. Workers have been shot and killed, and many have been arrested. Employers are flagrantly violating workers’ legal rights and the collective bargaining agreements. The dispute resolution mechanism that is supposed to settle the disputes has become entirely defunct. Taking advantage of the coup situation, the employers are widely dismissing permanent workers and replacing them with daily wage workers, who earn even less than the minimum wage. Moreover, during the brutal Covid wave in Myanmar, employers do not follow Covid-safety measures in their factories; as a result, countless workers suffered and died from Covid.

Employers are intentionally destroying the unions, largely via informing and collaborating with the Myanmar military, providing soldiers with names of union leaders who they find problematic or who oppose the military coup...Union leaders now must hide from arrest, and have consequently they lost jobs en masse...

Though we understand the concerns that the international brands usually express regarding the economic sanctions on Myanmar, the workers of Myanmar have nothing more to lose...We are willing to sacrifice in order to win a future with dignity...we call upon all international brands still operating in Myanmar to stop directly or indirectly sourcing from Myanmar and to stop all operations in Myanmar.

All Burma Federation of Trade Unions .
Federation of General Workers Myanmar.