The Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM), Myanmar’s highest independent labour organization representing the mass of workers in Myanmar, has decried the military council’s attempts to hold a tripartite meeting without CTUM representatives.

“They have organized some members of the basic labour unions and pretended to hold the meeting with CTUM after they has sent Central Executive Committee member of the Myanmar Infrastructure, Craft and Service-MICS labour union Thet Hin Aung and has issued an arrest warrant for 28 members of the CTUM’s central committee and declared their passports null and void,” said U Maung Maung, Chairman of the CTUM.

Besides, the military also lodged a complaint to the ILO for appointing Daw Phyo Sandar Soe, the Assistant General Secretary of CTUM as the Deputy Governing Body member of the ILO.

“Their attempt has shown that they (the military council) are trying to lie to the world and International labour organization-ILO that Myanmar has peace and stability because they are afraid of international pressure,” U Maung Maung told Mizzima.

The military council announced last week that they will hold a tripartite meeting on 27 August in Yangon.

Representing the mass of workers in Myanmar, the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM), with about 100,000 members nationwide, had been working as a member of the tripartite group with the government and the employers since 2015 to settle labour issues, disputes and amending laws related with labour.

The military is investigating the basic labour unions, and they arrested one labour union leader at worksite recently without giving no reasons, according to the CTUM.

After the military coup, some CEC members of the CTUM fled the country and live in exile and some are hiding to escape arrest.

After the military coup, about 14 leaders of the member labour unions of the CTUM were arrested by the military council.

CTUM released a statement on 29 January that they did not accept any attempts to disrupt democracy practices. The military coup happened on 1 February. On 3 February, the CTUM released a statement and denounced the military coup and declared that they dissociated from the tripartite committee with the government.