The Independent Federation of Myanmar Seafarers (IFOMS) is celebrating the opening of its new headquarters in Thailand.
IFOMS, an affiliate of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), was established in June 2014 as a democratic, transparent trade union to represent the interests of Myanmar seafarers and protect their rights.
The new office, in Bangkok, formally opened on Saturday 9 August, with its opening facilitated by the Thai trade union foundation, the State Enterprise Workers’ Relations Confederation Foundation (SERCF).
IFOMS General Secretary, Aung Kyaw Linn, said: “The opening of this office wouldn’t be possible without the consistent solidarity and support that IFOMS has received over many years from the ITF, the ITF Seafarers' Trust and maritime unions from around the world.
“On behalf of IFOMS, I also want to thank our friends at SERCF, who have generously – facilitated the re-establishment of IFOMS in Bangkok where we can continue to provide services to Myanmar seafarers working internationally”
ITF Asia Pacific Regional Secretary, Scott McDine, said: “The ITF is proud to stand behind IFOMS and, in turn, provide solidarity, support and recognition to the vital work Myanmar’s seafarers undertake to keep our world moving forward.
“I’m delighted to confirm that the ITF will be enhancing its commitment to IFOMS by ensuring we make more resources available to IFOMS in addition to strengthening our organising programmes in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.”
The period after IFOMS’ creation in 2014 was one of great optimism as the union made significant progress in fighting against the exploitation of seafarers and establishing itself as a reliable partner in the maritime sector.
Sadly, this period was short lived, with the 2021 coup d’etat in Myanmar deposing the democratically elected government, resulting in still ongoing violence and civil war . Many international businesses have since pulled out of Myanmar, including shipping companies and their agents.
With tens of thousands of Myanmar seafarers working in international trade, the continued existence of a trustworthy, independent maritime trade union is critical – the struggle to prevent the exploitation of Myanmar seafarers is more acute than ever.
Since its inception IFOMS has handled cases of rights abuses involving over 700 seafarers, recovering more than US$10.3 million in unpaid wages.
NOTES TO EDITORS
In November 2015, the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory in the first national elections to take place since 2011, when a military-backed government civilian government was replaced by military rule.
On 1 February 2021, the ‘Tatmadaw’, Myanmar’s military establishment, overthrew the democratically elected government replacing it with a military junta, creating a state of emergency.
