PPDP ILO & H&M Förbättrade industriella relationer inom Myanmars textilindustri PPDP ILO & H&M Improving labor relations in Myanmar garment industry The ILO, in collaboration with the clothing company H&M designed a project proposal aimed at improving industrial relations in order to contribute to decent work and sustainable development in Myanmar's garment industry. The project is proposed to be implemented over two years and be financed by Sida and H&M, while ILO is the implementing organization. IF Metall will also contribute in implementation.

The project aims to contribute to improved working conditions, and “decent work” by strengthening the capacity for sound social dialogue between employers and employees, which is expected to lead to continuous improvements in areas of interest to both parties, including improved awareness of women's reproductive health. Employers’ and workers’ associations will be trained in labour rights, including gender equality, health issues, and their responsibilities in relation to the trade unions. The project will strengthen workers' organizations and trade unions at the factory and sector levels to effectively provide services to, and represent its members. The project also aims at strengthening gender equality, and empowerment of women garment workers to participate in democratic organizations such as trade unions and employers' organizations. The project plans to develop an integrated strategy for these purposes during a first initial phase of the project.

At the factory level: The project will work with employers and workers in factories, including but not limited to the suppliers to H&M. Training will be conducted to increase awareness of social dialogue, with the goal of developing an agreement on rules on employment conditions that can include collective bargaining, workplace cooperation and mechanisms for complaints. Appointment and training of officers for "Occupational Health and Safety" will take place. Employees and employers will also be trained specifically in gender equality and women's health and safety.

At sectoral level: The project will help employers’ and workers’ respective associations to develop a common vision for sound industrial relations in the sector. This includes a range of capacity building efforts, including basic skills in negotiation and dialogue, arbitration and collective bargaining. In addition, the Project will build capacity of the social partners’ secretariats in order for them to represent and provide relevant service to members. For example, the Project will develop the capacity of Myanmar's employers' association for the garment industry to provide membership support, including issues related to women workers’ health and safety. This will also include sexual and reproductive health and maternal health, as well as rights issues in a broader perspective as to ensure that female workers can commute safely between the workplace and their homes, work against discrimination and violence in the workplace, and to promote equal pay for equal work.

The project starts with an initial planning phase of six months. This includes a survey of the situation regarding industrial relations and working conditions in the sector and in each factory involved in the project, including the status of social dialogue, wages, collective bargaining, gender equality and women's needs regarding health. The studies and consultations provide a basis for updating the results framework and the activity plan.

The ILO is responsible for implementing the Project in collaboration with H&M that will help to introduce the management of the factories they source from to be involved in the project. IF Metall and their global partners IndustryAll will assist in trainings. Insatsen syftar långsiktigt till minskad fattigdom och stärkt egenmakt hos kvinnor i Myanmar genom förbättrade arbetsmarknadsrelationer och social dialog i textilsektorn. Projektet löper över tre år, finansieras av Sida och H&M gemensamt. ILO är Sidas avtalspart samt implementerande organisation. ILO och H&M sluter ett avtal med varandra. Målen för projektet är stärkt kapacitet hos arbetsgivar- och arbetstagarorganisationer för sunda arbetsmarknadsrelationer som leder till ökade löner, förbättrade arbetsvillkor och ökad jämställdhet; stärkta möjligheter och egenmakt hos kvinnliga textilarbetare inklusive ökad medvetenhet inom reproduktiv hälsa; ökad kapacitet hos fackföreningar och arbetsgivarorganisationer att erbjuda medlemsstöd; samt att social dialog förekommer regelbundet på sektornivå inom textilindustrin om förbättringar av ömsesidigt intresse för båda parter.  

Projektet kommer att arbeta med arbetsgivare och arbetstagarrepresentanter på fabriker, inklusive leverantörer till H&M. Projektet planerar kacitetsuppbyggnadsåtgärder för fabriksledningar, branschorganisationer och arbetstagarorganisationer inom förhandling och dialog, skiljeförfarande och kollektivavtal, arbetstagarnas rättigheter, andra personalfrågor inklusive arbetsmiljöhälsa, jämställdhet och reproduktiv hälsa. Projektet kommer att stödja parterna på arbetsgivar- och arbetstagarsidan att öka medvetenheten om ömsesidig nyttan av goda arbetsmarknadsrelationer och att utveckla en gemensam vision för sunda arbetsmarknadsrelationer i sektorn. Dessutom kommer organisationernas sekretariat stärkas för att kunna bistå medlemmar med relevant stöd. 

Jämställdhet integreras i insatsen dels genomgående i aktiviteter, men också genom specifika handlingsplaner för jämställdhet i fabrikerna, för att adressera diskriminering och våld på arbetsplatsen, lika lön för likvärdigt arbete, ledarskaps- och kompetensutveckling för kvinnor, arbetsmiljöhälsa och reproduktiv hälsa. Dessutom kommer ILO kontraktera en lokal organisation för ett utbildningsprogram för förbättrad reproduktiv hälsa hos textilarbetare. 

Projektet inleds med en första planeringsfas ("inception phase") om nio månader, från juli 2016 till mars 2017. En kartläggning kommer genomföras av  industriella relationer, arbetsförhållanden inom branschen och i varje fabrik som ingår i projektet, inklusive utgångsläget när det gäller social dialog, lönenivåer, kollektivförhandlingar, jämställdhet och arbetsmiljö och reproduktiv hälsa. Studierna och konsultationerna utgör grund för den detaljerade planeringen. ILO är ansvarig för genomförandet av projektet i samarbete med H&M som kommer att bidra med att få med ledningen hos leverantörerna de  köper in ifrån att delta i projektet. IF Metall kommer att bidra i utbildningsinsatserna med sin erfarenhet av kollektiva förhandlingar och jämställdhet. The intended development objective is the reduction of poverty and the empowerment of women in Myanmar via the improvement of labour relations and social dialogue in the garment sector.
Key indicators: income of garment worker increases, reduced gender pay gap in the garment sector, increased level of knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and workplace rights among women workers. The four immediate objectives are: 1) Increased capacity for sound industrial relations in participating enterprises leading to increased incidence of social dialogue, including collective bargaining, and, as a result, increased wages, improved working conditions and improved gender equality.2) Empowerment of women workers via the removal of the most serious obstacles to women’s participation in social dialogue, including in particular low levels of health knowledge, and to the extension of opportunities to all workers regardless of sex3) Increased capacity of social partners to deliver services to members and to participate in bipartite social dialogue.4) Regular bipartite social dialogue takes place at the sectoral level in the garment sector, giving rise to bipartite agreement(s) on concrete measures to address issues of common concern to workers and employers.