Labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana says the South African government supports efforts by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to ensure the prompt and effective elimination of forced labour in Myanmar, in Asia.

The minister was speaking at the meeting of the ILO's Governing Body meeting in Geneva yesterday, where he welcomed the role played by the ILO in the establishment of a liaison office to facilitate the observance of the ILO's Forced Labour Convention by the Myanmar government.

According to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, more than a million people in Myanmar are subjected to forced labour on construction sites for roads, railways, military installations and tourism.

‘To effectively eliminate forced labour it is essential that a coherent plan of action be developed and in this regard we fully support the proposal by the ILO Director General to the government of Myanmar. We call on Myanmar to accept this approach and facilitate the development of this plan without delay,’ Minister Mdladlana said.

He added it was encouraging the swift action taken by the Myanmar government by dismissing the recruitment officer over allegations that teenagers had been abducted and forced to work as porters.

‘It is important that the response (to the abduction of teenagers) becomes more widespread and is institutionalised,’ the minister added.

Meanwhile, workers in South Africa are fairly protected by legislation, which include among others the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA). – BuaNews