As Myanmar garment workers seek higher daily wages, the Government has decided to set up a new committee with financial experts, ministries and representatives from labour and employer groups to look into the matter. The current minimum wage is K 3,600 per day, which was set by the previous Government in power in September, 2015, and workers are now demanding for K 5,600 per day wages.
The new committee will be headed by the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population Thein Swe. Deputy Minister Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Hla Kyaw, and Myo Aung, a senior official from Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population are reportedly being nominated as Vice Chairmen of the body.
U Khin Maung Nyo, Economics Expert and Committee Member explains, “The new wages will be more specific. The previous minimum wage was the same for all levels. So we will need a bit more time before we can make the announcements, the minimum wage issue had caused problems for some businesses since the policy was implemented two years ago.”
Also Read – Cambodian garment workers stage protest for non-payment of wages
//
Some factories were shut in the recent time due to the row around minimum wages as the owner could not afford to pay that particular amount. Labour disputes were also there when employers had cut workers’ allowances after the K 3600 daily minimum wage came into force.