PYITHU Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Yi met members of the Domestic and Overseas Labour Affairs Committee in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
The committee chairperson, secretary and members introduced themselves individually. Committee Chair U Tint Wai then briefed the Speaker on the committee’s duties, its ongoing activities and future work plans. Also attending as special guests were International Relations Committee Chair Dr Pwint San and Daw Win Maw Tun, Chair of the Committee on Youth, Women, Children and the Rights of the Elderly, both of whom had previously served in the Ministry of Labour. Drawing on their experience, they recommended critical countermeasures and key areas for improvement.
Pyithu Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Maung Maung Ohn detailed the powers, responsibilities, and rights of Hluttaw committees. He urged members to enhance their professional capacity, deepen their field expertise, and coordinate closely with government ministries.
In his remarks, Speaker U Khin Yi said that the Pyithu Hluttaw established 22 committees, including four standing committees, to support Hluttaw functions. Among them, the Domestic and Overseas Labour Affairs Committee is one of the key committees. He noted that all the committees serve as important pillars supporting the Hluttaw and may also be regarded as mini-Hluttaws.
Regarding labour affairs, he said the committee should focus on three main areas: domestic manual and intellectual workers, Myanmar migrant workers employed overseas, and remittances sent home by Myanmar nationals working abroad.
He stressed the need to ensure that the rights and benefits of domestic workers are protected in accordance with the law. He also called for a review of existing legislation by amending, updating or repealing outdated laws and enacting new ones where necessary. He also urged closer coordination among relevant ministries to strengthen legal protection and support for Myanmar workers abroad.
He highlighted the need to establish grassroots-level committees and monitoring groups to protect overseas workers. He urged the committee to align all revised labour legislation with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards. He finally called for systematic reviews of the operations of overseas employment agencies to ensure that their activities do not adversely affect the country’s interests. — MNA/ KTZH
