ASEAN negotiates agreement on regional migrant workers issues

YANGON (Xinhua) - The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community ( ASCC) is negotiating a 10-chapter agreement on protection and promotion of regional migrant workers, state media reported today.

The agreement is being drafted at the 11th Senior Officials Meeting of ASCC in Nay Pyi Taw , which will guarantee basic rights of migrant workers and clarify role of countries which send and accept migrant workers, the Labor Department  was quoted as saying.

Myanmar representative U Myo Aung, who is director-general of the Labor Department, complained that some Myanmar workers were even detained although ASEAN has agreed that accepting countries are to give work permit to legal migrant workers. Some responsible employment agencies and factories have even delayed responding to the issue.

Under ASCC, Myanmar will carry out 23 tasks for migrant workers issues, advising  Myanmar workers to go abroad legally and pledging to provide full assistance in settling issues related to legal migrant workers.

Since the country opened up about three years ago, the government could create job opportunities at home by establishing more industrial zones in the country and has opened many channels for its youth workforce to be able to work legally in foreign countries, the Myanmar representative added.

The Senior Officials Meeting of ASCC has been underway in Nay Pyi Taw since Wednesday.