Election candidates seek to address workers’ rights in Myanmar

Election candidates seek to address workers’ rights in Myanmar
 Workers make disposable surgical gown at a garment factory in Yangon. Photo: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA

Eleven aspiring election candidates have outlined their intentions to challenge for seats in order to give a voice to workers and farmers which, under the current Myanmar government, face oppression when speaking out on rights issues, according to a report by Eco Textile News.

These candidates aim to target seats that the National League for Democracy won in the country’s 2015 election.

“Existing labour laws fall short of protecting labour rights and enforcement is very weak under the current government, so it has become clear that we need to raise our voice,” said U Htay, who’s running for a newly created constituency, according to the report. “We held a series of discussions with unions and civil society groups from last November to March, which led to the decision to contest this year’s election as independent candidates.”

The two main parties contending in the November elections are the National League for Democracy and the Union Solidarity and Development Party.