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Issue No. 334 | 24 November 2006 |
It�s Who The Economy Works For, Stupid
Interview: Common Ground Industrial: A Low Act Unions: The Number of the Least Politics: The Smoking Gun Economics: Microcredit, Compulsory Superannuation and Inequality Environment: Low Voltage History: The Art of Social Justice Review: Work�s Unhealthy Appetite Culture: A Forgotten Poet
Wages Heading South Under WorkChoices STOP PRESS: Workers Docked for Meeting Pollies Telstra Redundancies �Inhumane� ILO Gets Tough on Forced Labour Houston Win Sparks Hope for New Era Full List of November 30 Venues
The Soapbox Parliament
Labor Council of NSW |
News ILO Gets Tough on Forced Labour
For the past decade, the ILO has been accusing Burma's military junta, which calls itself the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), of using forced labour, including women and children. Burma is accused of violating ILO Convention 29 on forced or compulsory labour, which was ratified by that nation in 1955. In 1996, the International Labour Conference set up a survey commission, which reported two years later that forced labour was "widespread and systematic" in Burma. Since then, the government has fluctuated in its willingness to negotiate with the ILO, but without yielding on the underlying question of the eradication of forced labour. In June, the delegates from Burma accepted the possibility of adopting a mechanism to deal with complaints of forced labour. As evidence of goodwill, the government announced in July that well-known labour activist and lawyer Aye Myint would be released, and also dropped legal cases in the central district of Aunglan against victims of forced labour who had filed complaints. But the brief lull came to an abrupt end in October, when authorities in Burma rejected three requirements outlined by an ILO mission to Rangoon, including the ILO's request for free, confidential access to whistle-blowers on forced labour.
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