Workers and Farmers Solidarity League of Burma (WFSLB)

''We will continue our fights until we achieve full basic workers' rights.''

No. 3/2010(WFSLB)
Date. 8.3.2010(Monday)

1. In harmony and solidarity, we, sisters and brothers from different factories of Hlaing Thar
Yar, Insein, Shwe Pyi Thar and Mingalar Done of Rangoon Division, have been holding
peaceful strikes and sit-ins to get full basic workers' rights, which is a common and urgent
concern for us all.

2. The salary increase for government servants in January 2010 brought a sharp increase in
commodity prices. Consequently, Burmese workers who already had to survive on less than
livable wages and have long suffered from the critical economic situation of Burma, now face
double daily hardships. Meanwhile the government servants find themselves in exactly the
same position as before the salary increase because of the rise in costs of goods. We workers
feel like we are sinking in a muddy field, the harder we struggle to get out, the deeper we
sink. We believe the government servants must also feel the same.

3. The daily hardships of the workers in Burma are beyond endurance. The working
environment is neither safe nor hygienic, the working hours are excessive and the wages are
not living wages. We cannot cover the cost of our health care, of our children's education, and
there are days when we do not have money for our daily meals. Therefore, we, the workers,
have organized strikes to call for proper living wages. We have gone out on strike despite the
intimidation and threatening behavior of the riot police, the military intelligence, special
branch police and the USDA bikers.

4. Our demands are fair, just and simple. We call for:

• Proper living wages

• 8 hour working days
• Overtime wages
• Provision of transportation
• Health and life insurance

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 • The right to refuse to do work which is outside our allotted work
• The right to strike and protest our working conditions without fear
of being dismissed. Workers' leaders must not lose their jobs for
leading workers actions for their rights.

5. We believe that the main reasons behind the current crisis are 1) the economy is controlled by
the military regime and their cronies, 2) the lack of labor laws which protect the workers in
accordance with international standard and 3) lack of independent trade unions and workers'
associations which can represent workers.

6. Therefore, we ask the military regime not to betray the workers anymore by crushing the
workers' strikes. In order to solve the problems the workers are now facing, we further
demand the junta to fulfill the following requirements;

1) to allow workers rights and having labor laws in accordance with

international standards
2) to allow the formation of workers' unions
3) to have a standard living wage
4) to solve the current problems faced by workers through negotiations
between employees, workers' representatives, government and International
Labor Organization (ILO).

7. Unless the government and the employers fulfill our demands for our immediate needs, in
particular for a proper living wage, we will continue and escalate our strikes, protests and
demonstrations.

8. We earnestly appeal to government servants, the entire working force of Burma, all our
sisters and brothers, to join hand in hand with us to fight for our basic rights. We must not
waiver an inch in our fight until we achieve full basic workers' rights for all workers.

Unite All Oppressed Workers and Farmers!

Workers and Farmers Solidarity League of Burma (WFSLB)

Rangoon, Burma.

To contact : wfslb2009@gmail.com

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