Irrawaddy-Nov 26
Employment agencies with ties to the Myanmar military regime are planning to send Myanmar migrant workers to Russia to work in factories, workshops, and the agriculture and livestock sectors, as labor demand is high in the country amid its invasion of Ukraine, according to the agencies. Junta-appointed Labor Minister Myint Naung stated last year that Russia had expressed a desire to recruit Myanmar workers, and the two regimes had a plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Myanmar migrant laborers to work in Russia. The two regimes have not yet initiated a G-2-G system, but Myanmar employment agencies with ties to the regime have contacted Russian recruiters, said an overseas employment agency employee. Only a few overseas employment agencies have submitted demand letters to the junta’s Labor Ministry requesting permission to send workers to Russia. Potential workers will incur no costs to work in Russia. A representative of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) said: “We haven’t sent workers to Russia before. Some agencies are exploring markets. Authorities have not yet approved [their request to send workers to Russia]. Some are even trying to penetrate the European labor market. We can’t just rely on Thailand. They’re looking at other countries. Some companies have succeeded in securing new labor markets.” While economic sanctions imposed by Western countries including the US are taking a toll on Russia’s economy, the demand for skilled laborers has increased in Russia as citizens are serving in the military amid the ongoing fighting with Ukraine, according to a report by the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Read more at:
