Increasing authoritarianism is an alarm signal for workers
— Time for global solidarity actions
We are a group of trade unionists and labour activists from Myanmar, Hong Kong, Belarus and Vietnam who have been forced into exile due to persecution by an authoritarian regime for trade union and pro-democracy activities. Authoritarian regimes are rampant and deprive workers of their basic trade union rights and fundamental human rights. These regimes violently suppress independent trade union movements and ruthlessly crack down on struggles for democracy under the guise of “national security”, “anti-terrorism”, or “anti-extremism”.
Independent trade unions are labelled illegal or forced to disband under dictatorial rule, and countless trade union activists are arrested, imprisoned or forced into exile. These authoritarian governments openly violate ILO labour rights and UN human rights conventions. An injury to one is an injury to all. The international mechanisms that protect workers’ rights are becoming increasingly ineffective — alarm bells are ringing around the world.
The damage done by these authoritarian regimes is not confined to their borders; it strikes at the very foundation of the global labour movement that has been painstakingly built over generations. These dictators sell products of forced labour in global markets, working with multinational corporations that abuse supply chains to wring every last drop of sweat from workers. They enable companies to evade union control and labour protections through unfair trade agreements and investments, and export exploitative practices to other countries. Even worse, these regimes form alliances to increase their international influence and strengthen their narrative by trying to replace international rules with raw power.
Authoritarianism knows no borders. its reach now threatens even democratic societies and jeopardises human rights around the world.
These ambitious dictators not only attack workers’ rights, but also support and protect each other by waging or threatening to wage wars in neighbouring regions, endangering global peace and stability. They trample on the sovereignty of peoples, grab other countries’ lands and install puppet regimes to satisfy their imperial aspirations while hiding under slogans such as “national rejuvenation” or “national integrity”. True peace cannot be found in injustice and oppression, and the international community must neither remain silent nor make concessions to dictators in exchange for illusory stability.
A regime can imprison a person or disband an organisation, but it cannot eliminate the people’s will to resist. It cannot suppress our striving for freedom and liberation from oppression. Many people living under dictatorships today are silenced by force, but they have not given up. They continue to resist in various ways. Dictators cannot escape the fate of being spurned by the people, as history has repeatedly shown.
Even though we are in exile and cannot return home for the time being, we stand firmly by our sisters and brothers in the struggle. This is not just a struggle for one country, but for the dignity and rights of all workers — a struggle for our common future.
We invite you to fight with us. Join the worldwide resistance against the rise of authoritarianism.
Solidarity overcomes isolation!
Solidarity makes us strong!
Solidarity will fight the darkness!
Co-signed by the exiled unionists and labour activists from the organisations as below (in alphabetical order)
Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar
Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar
Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor
Salidarnast e.V., Belarus
Vietnamese Independent union