WFTU Statement on the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand
The World Federation of Trade Unions, expresses its deep solidarity with the peoples of Myanmar and Thailand, who are mourning the tragic loss of life and the disappearance of hundreds of people, following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the region three days ago.
According to official reports from the military regime – junta in Myanmar, more than 1,600 people have already been declared dead. Hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar live in structures that cannot withstand such tremors. The potential for thousands more casualties looms due to the criminal lack of infrastructure and protective measures.
In Thailand, the collapse of a high-rise building under demolition claimed the lives of at least 7 workers, while dozens more remain trapped—once again showing that it is the working class that first of all bears the brunt of every disaster.
Basic rights—such as protection from natural disasters, access to safe and dignified housing, and robust public infrastructure—are sacrificed on the altar of profits.
The WFTU stands with the workers and peoples of the affected areas and demands immediate international aid that respects the sovereignty and dignity of the peoples, prioritizing the needs of the working class and the poor. We also call for immediate and long-term measures to ensure earthquake-safe housing, protection of workers, and an end to the policies that treat human lives as disposable costs.
PAME SOLIDARITY
PAME expresses its solidarity with the people of Myanmar and Thailand who are still counting their dead and missing form the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar, Thailand and even provinces of China three days ago.
The Burmese junta has already announced the death of at least 1600 people and according to analyses by geodynamic institutes published in international media, hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar are living in houses vulnerable to the earthquake tremors which increases the risk of even thousands of deaths.
In Thailand, the collapse of an under-demolition skyscraper led to the death of 7 workers and 81 others trapped inside.
All over the world the dilemma “either their profits or our lives” becomes more contemporary than ever as once again the workers, the grassroots pay with their lives, the lack of protection measures against natural disasters, the lack of decent and safe housing, as in Greece and all over the world these are considered costs.
