industriAll Europe General Secretary Luc Triangle said: “We are shocked and appalled. At a time that we are fighting against any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, it is unacceptable that a country introduces such medieval laws.” 

industriAll Europe encourages its affiliates to call on their governments to put pressure on Brunei, demanding the withdrawal of this gruesome law.

The world’s global union federations have also come together to condemn the policy, which is the latest phase of brutal new laws introduced since 2014 that also include severe punishments for adultery and theft. 

Stephen Cotton, chair of the Council of Global Unions (CGU) of which our sister organisation industriAll Global is a member, said: “Everybody, whatever their sexuality or gender or race, has the right to be who they are free of fear and persecution; this is basic human rights. The trade union movement has a proud history of standing up for the most persecuted communities, and we will continue to do this for as long as we have to. 

“I call on the government of Brunei to stop the implementation of this cruel and inhuman new law. Moreover, it is time for Brunei to go further and end all laws criminalising LGBT+ people, and show that it is a country that upholds human rights and celebrates diversity, rather than outlaw it.”