Trade unions in Myanmar are fighting to ensure that the labour rights of the hundreds of thousands of workers who have been at the forefront of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) are protected.

After a one-year freeze engendered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the attendant economic slowdown, a few regional governments have finally announced plans to increase their statutory minimum wage.

One of the few highlights for workers at the annual legislative gathering in Beijing this month was the renewed criticism of China’s “996” work culture by Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) delegate Li Guohua.

The Myanmar military launched a full-scale assault on protesters and residents in Hlaing Tharyar Township, the centre of Yangon’s garment industry, on 14 March, in what was the bloodiest day so far in the junta’s crackdown.

Food deliveries have become ever more crucial since the pandemic as people under lockdown relied on the industry to keep them supplied. While the industry has boomed, its profits have not been fairly distributed to the backbone of its workforce.

China Labour Bulletin stands in solidarity with Carol Ng and Winnie Yu and all trade unionists around the world who are facing political persecution