IUF Campaign Success: Accor Confirms Withdrawal From Burma

Posted to the IUF website 25-Aug-2003

Share this article.



As previously reported on this web site on October 30th 2002, Jean Marc Espalioux, chairman of the hotel, tourism and leisure group ACCOR, informed trade unionists meeting under the auspices of the IUF that the group had decided to withdraw from Burma.

The IUF had raised the issue of Accor�s presence in Burma with central management several times during the past years, including questions to Accor�s leadership at meetings of the IUF co-ordinated European Works� Council. The IUF, in an alliance with many other organizations, has been active for years in supporting the democratic Burmese trade union movement and political parties that have called for a boycott of tourism in Burma and for a withdrawal of transnational companies from Burma.

Accor chairman Jean Marc Espalioux made it clear then that this decision was in large part the result of strong pressure from the trade union movement and others. Credit for this significant step in support of the democratic forces of Burma therefore goes to the large number of IUF affiliates who sent messages on September 27, 2002, the trade unions' international tourism day, urging Accor to pull out of Burma.

Accor had managed two hotels in Burma, the Novotel Mandalay and the Sofitel Plaza Yangon. The company has now negotiated its way out of both management contracts and Accor has confirmed that it now has no further activity or interests in Burma.