A total of 10 labour organizations issued a joint statement on 3 March, calling for the government to check whether the shutdown of factories due to the shortage of raw materials from China is correct or not.

In the joint statement, tripartite emergency meeting between the government, employers and employees should be called as a measure to seek the solutions to social and economic problems to be caused by the Covid-19. In addition, there should be constructive discussions and coordination between employers and employees at the factories.

The wordings which are not included in the law should not be put in the announcements on the suspension or shutdown.

Relevant labour departments are responsible for the scrutinity of wordings and procedures correctly. For the termination, the factories need to pay compensations to the employees in accordance with the law. They also called for the reappointment of workers at the former posts when the suspended factories resume their operations.

The factories in Myanmar are going to face a shortfall of raw materials due to the spreading of Covid-19 as they have to rely mainly on raw materials from China. According to the statement by the UMFCCI on 27 February, due to the prolonged shortage of raw materials, the factories are likely to reduce the number of workers and carry out temporary shutdown of factories and the complete shutdown.

It is found that the closure of some factories is aimed at making crackdown on the labour union though there is no shortage of raw materials. Some employers are recruiting new workers.

They also call on relevant region and state governments to help in forming the scrutinizing team with those from labour federation and labour activists, in order to check the shutdown of factories.