Objectives:
The Ministry of Labour aims at actively participating in the
national development endeavours through rendering its services to both
workers and employers alike.
- To implement measures for enforcement of labour
laws to protect and ensure the rights of workers.
- To encourage fair labour practices with a view to establish
cordial relations among employers and workers to maintain industrial
peace.
Organizations Setup
There are five different organizations under the Ministry carrying out
their respective missions.
- Development of Labour (DOL)
- Social Security Broad
- Central Inland Freight Handling Committee
- Factories and General Labour Laws Inspection Development
- Central Trade Disputes Committee
Department of Labour
Department of Labour is purely a Service organization and caters to the
enhancement of Labour motivation and promotion of labour productivity.
Services Rendered
Industrial Relations Service
There are several different services relation to industrial relations
which is being undertaken by Regional and Coordination Division of the
Department of Labour.
- Labour Relations. Township Workers Supervisory Committee
have been formed to carry out this service. these Committees are being
invested with the responsibility for negotiation and conciliation among
employers and workers in case of work related disputes. (Arbitration is
the last resort if and only if conciliation is not successful).
- Workmen's Compensation.
Township workmen's
compensation Scrutiny Committees have been formed to settle workmen's
Compensation cases according to the existing Workmen's Compensation
Act.
Workmen's Compensation can be summed up as Compensation for
Workers in case of accidents, arising out of and in the course of
employment.
The amount of Compensation payable shall be
according to the decision made by TWCC.
- Minimum Wage Fixation. Minimum Wages Councils have been formed
for fixation of proper wage rates for workers from Selected industries.
At present, there are two Minimum Wages Council; one is for workers of
Rice Milling Industries and the other is for Cheroot and Cigar Rolling
Industries.
- Workers' Welfare. DOP take initiatives for formation of
Workers' Welfare Committees in industries and establishment to look
after the welfare and grievances of workers.
- Promotion of Workers'
Discipline. DOL
adopted a Model Work Rules to encourage both employers and workers to
adopt their own set of rules based on the Model. Advisory service is being
provided to workers and employers if and when requested.
Employment Service
- National Employment
Service.
The Employment and Training
Division of the Development of Labour provides manpower supply services
to industries and establishments in public, cooperatives and private
sectors throughout its network of (78) Township Labour Offices (TLO).
Registered job-seekers by different occupations and skills can be
available upon request or notification of vacancies to TLOs by
employers. National Employment Service is provided without charging any
fee or payment. The job-seekers have the voluntary choice of
employment and the employer also has the right to select the one
according to his choice based on his own norms. This service is
backed-up by Employment and Training Act and Employment Restriction Act.
- Overseas Employment Service.
The Overseas
Employment Service is a recent initiative of the Department of Labour.
Only since 1990, the Overseas Employment Division has been Set up for
recruitment and placement of Myanmar Workers abroad. End users, foreign
and local recruiting agents can have easy access to this service.
- In July 1999, The State Peace and Development
Council promulgated the law relating to Overseas Employment.
The Law enables the beneficial and systematic
utilization of Human Resources of the State for Building a modern
and developed State. It also enables these seeking overseas employment
to get employment opportunities and systematic employment overseas and
ensures their rights and privileges. The law also provides for the
systematic utilization of the knowledge, experience and skills
gained abroad by the workers in the development of the Nation. In
addition, to be able to systematically register the foreign workers
employed here in Myanmar by the establishments and worksites concerned,
a unit under the Employment and Training Division has been assigned to
carry out the necessary registration works.
Vocational Training Service
The Ministry of Labour implemented the National Vocational Training
Project in 1972 under the technical assistance programme of UNDP and ILO.
Thanks to this project, a National Vocational Training Center has been
established with the following objectives:-
- To ensure a steady supply of all levels of
skill workers to meet the needs of the industries.
- To increase productive capicity of workers through systematic
training.
The modality used was to promote and encourage systematic training of
all levels of workers to be undertaken by industrial establishment and
enterprise themselves, off-the- job or on-the-job or both.
At present, the vocational Training Centre, under the Department of
Labour, has been conducting (9) types of regular training Courses for
skill development of workers from public and private sectors.
Types of Training Courses
| Sr. No |
Courses |
Duration |
| 1. |
Training Officer's Course |
6- weeks |
| 2. |
Supervisory Training Course |
6- weeks |
| 3. |
Productivity Improvement Course |
6- weeks |
| 4. |
Training Methodology Course |
3- weeks |
| 5. |
Trade Skill Testing Technical Course |
3- weeks |
| 6. |
Machinist Trade Instructor Course |
(22) weeks |
| 7. |
Welding Trade Instructor Course |
(20) weeks |
| 8. |
Auto-mechanic Trade Instructor Course |
(16) weeks |
| 9. |
Electrical Trade Instructor Course |
(16) weeks |
Labour Research and Labour Education Services
The Research and Planning Division of the Department of Labour is
taking initiatives in matters relating to Labour research. A Labour
Library has been maintained for general reading and research purposes.
Human Resources Development
In April, 1988, ESCAP has adopted the Jakarta Plan of Action on Human
Resources Development to be implemented in Asia and the Pacific Region at
the 44th session of ESCAP Regional Conference held at Jakarta,
Indonesia.
In this regard, Myanmar, as a member of ESCAP, has actively
participated in the regional HRD programmes and accordingly designated the
Department of Labour, Ministry of Labour as the ESCAP National Focal Point
for HRD.
With a view to affectively deal with matters relating to HRD, the
National Nucleus Commission (NNC) for HRD has been formed with the
Director- General of the Department of Labour as Chairman with
representatives from the Ministries of Education, Health , Social Welfare,
National Planning and Economics. Development and the Civil Service
Selection and Training Board.
Up to now the following project activities have been carried out by the
Department of Labour, Ministry of Labour, in Collaboration with UN
agencies;
- Strengthening of Manpower Planning Phase (I)
- Establishing a Base for Integration of Population and Human
Resources for Development Planning
- Strengthening of Manpower Planning Phase
- Use of Human Resource Development Indicators for the Population and
Development Planning Process.
Factories and General Labour Laws
Inspection Department
This Department is headed by a Director- General who is also the Chief
Inspector of Factories. There are two main divisions under the D.G.,
namely factories inspection Division and General Labour Laws Inspection
Division, each headed by a Director.
There are (11) Inspectors of Factories and (7) Assistant Inspector of
Factories who are qualified engineers and one medical physician under
Factories Inspection Division. In addition to these, there are (36)
General Labour Laws Inspectors and (23) Assistant Labour Laws Inspectors
who are also additional Inspectors of Factories concerned with General
Labour Laws Inspection Division.
The Department has 5 State and Division Offices, 39 District Offices
and 10 Township Offices totaling 54 Offices.
The objective of the Department is to enhance the productivity of
labour by ensuring workers to enjoy their legal rights regularly and fully
under the existing labour Laws. The following are the main laws directly
administered by the Department.-
- The Factories Act, 1951
- The Oil Fields (Labour and Welfare) Act, 1951
- The Shops and Establishments Act, 1951
- The Leave and Holidays Act, 1951
- The Payment of Wages Act, 1936
- The Minimum Wages Orders
- The Trade Agreements and Awards made under the Trade Dispute Act,
1929
The main functions of the department are-
- Enforcing of existing Labour Laws and
- Educating Training and giving advice on Occupational Safely and
Health
The Factories Inspection Division is responsible for administration of
the safely, health and welfare provisions of the factories Act and the Oil
Fields Act.
The General Labour Law Inspection Division is responsible for
administration of the other provisions of the Factories Act, the Oil
Fields Act, the Shop and Establishments Act, the Leave and Holidays Act
and the Payment of Wages Act.
The Leave and Holidays Act, 1951
The Leave and Holidays Act
aims providing paid leave and holidays for worker covered by it. It comes
into force on 1st January 1952. It applies to workers earning an average
Ks 400 a month or less, whether permanently or temporarily employed in
factories, railway workshops, ports, oil-fields, mines, shops and
establishments. Government's broads and enterprises and factories and
offices of local authority.
Casual Leave, Earned Leave and Medical Leave are there kinds of Leave
which are entitled to enjoy by the employers in accordance with their
service, and works.
Public Holidays
- An average of 21 public holidays which are
holidays for various festivals and other occasions announced yearly by
the Government is granted to all workers with full paid wage / pay.
- Of the workers are required to work on a Public
Holiday, they Shall be paid to twice of their normal wages plus other
allowance if any.
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