• • • 4 4.6  set in place a clear recruitment policy for hiring of staff or use of labour brokers ensure that supervisors and managers are aware of the signs of exploitation pay the recruitment fees for workers themselves and prohibit accepting payments or other inducements from labour brokers or workers • monitor the allocation of jobs and use of agencies for signs of suspicious practices • ensure that all workers, including temporary workers, have access to a grievance mechanism to complain about potential or actual violations of their labour rights Monitor business relationships: ICT companies should monitor business partners to ensure that they are upholding national labour laws and international labour standards, including through regular surprise field visits. The risks of labour rights violations tend to increase with each tier of the supply chain, where workers are in lower-skilled, lower paid, manual labour positions which are temporary or irregular. Child Labour  Monitor business partners for child labour violations: While there is a very low likelihood of child labour in direct employment situations within skilled operations of the ICT sector, the prevalence and general acceptance of child labour in Myanmar and the difficulties of validating age means that companies need to be vigilant. Companies should be alert to the possibility of child labour being used in supplying products or services, such as in construction or catering, directly linked to their operations. There are an increasing range of tools available to assist companies in assessing risks to children from their operations. 475 (See also Chapter 4.8 on Groups at Risk). Discrimination   Seek to increase female representation in the workforce: Dscrimination against women and girls in education and the workplace is widespread in Myanmar. 476 The current rate of female employment in the ICT sector is low, as it is in many other countries. (See also Chapter 4.8 on Groups at Risk). Be alert to ethnic and religious discrimination in the workforce: Companies need to be aware of the potential for ethnic and religious tensions and discrimination in recruitment and in the workplace. The ethnicity or religion of company managers, particularly in human resources, can have significant consequences. 477 Workers’ ethnicity/religion will not be readily apparent, particularly to non-Myanmar managers. However it may not be wise for employers to collect data on the religious and ethnic make-up of their workforce; this may create more tension. Furthermore, many Myanmar people are of mixed heritage or self-identify in various ways. A better approach may be management awareness of the sensitivities, clear company policies on non-discrimination, reinforcement of those messages and modelling an approach to equal opportunities that includes active measures to achieve those outcomes. There are few easy answers on how to address hostility that may spill over into the 475 UNICEF and the Danish Institute for Human Rights, “Children's Rights in Impact Assessments - A guide for integrating children’s rights into impact assessments and taking action for children“ (2013). 476 For example, in Coca Cola’s report to the US State Department on its activities in Myanmar, the company highlighted that it found that women were being paid approximately 11% less than male colleagues for the same work. 477 From IHRB, “From Red Flags to Green Flags: The corporate responsibility to respect human rights in high risk countries” (2011), pg. 73-76. 204 PAGE CHAPTER 4.6: LABOUR