The Ministry of Labor has not officially announced the minimum wage, but the entrepreneurs have been increasing the allowance (minimum wage) since July.
But recently, the situation has not had a significant impact on workers.The entrepreneur increased the minimum wage rate to 5,800 kyats, but currently it is a wage that is lower than the price of a one pyi rice.
In an age where palm 10 kyat thar oil costs more than 1,000 kyats and 10 kyat thar onions costs about 350 kyats, it is questionable whether a worker's income is enough to eat.
The price of goods, which has been rising steadily since the military coup, has become uncontrollable after the announcement that twenty thousand MMK cash will be released.
The price of essentials: rice and oil is also higher than the daily basic wage of workers. Before, the price of one pyi of raw rice was only around 1,500 Kyats, but currently it has risen from 3,500 Kyats to more than 4,000 Kyats.
Rice, which used to be only around 2,400 kyats per pyi, currently costs from 4,000 kyats to more than 6,000 kyats per country.In Myanmar, where the basic wage is only 4,800 kyats per day, even rice, which is the basic food, is rising above the basic wage, so it is questionable whether the workers can continue to withstand.
Last year (2013), the minimum wage law was stated. It was enacted in March, and a mandatory minimum wage rate for domestic workers was established in 2015. It was established on June 29. The proposed rate that was enacted was that for workers in Myanmar, regardless of location or type of work, they should be paid at a rate of 450 kyats per hour and 3600 kyats per day for 8 hours of work.
The ministry also stipulated that the small businesses with less than 15 workers and family-owned businesses tit is not related to this definition.In addition, the law stipulates that the minimum wage should be reviewed and prepared once every (2) years so that it does not set a fixed minimum wage in line with rising commodity prices.
Therefore, in 2018, the minimum wage rate was revised for the second time, and the wage for an 8-hour workday (one day) was increased from 3,600 Kyats to 4,800 Kyats. Currently, the period for the third review has passed, but the process has not yet been initiated. In this situation, the businessmen started to increase the fees at the right time.
It is reported that the minimum wage rate that is increased in some factories is not the same, it is paid from 5,200 to 5,800 Kyats, and overtime wages are paid from 1,300 to 1,500 Kyats. Employers' wage increases are not commensurate with rising commodity prices.
It's a situation where a small increase is given to show that a raise has been given to show that it has previously refused to pay wages that are in line with the times. Behind the increase in wages, workers are facing tighter living conditions.
"Some days, I don't even cook.", said Ma New Nwe, who supports her family every month, expressing the current situation she is facing. For factory workers like them, not cooking a meal on certain days is a familiar behavior.
It is not unusual for girls to get together and buy restaurant food to eat without cooking because they are tired at the end of the day. “Before it we were just mouthing. All the people in the dormitory gathered and ate what they wanted to. Now we can't eat anymore and stay starve except that. Mostly with rice and water.”, said by her.
Due to the insufficient minimum wage, workers can’t refuse to work overtime, which is forced by employers. Although working overtime like this, there are situations where famine is imminent.
“Workers in some garment factories in Myanmar work more than 15 hours a day and have little time to sleep," said by Myanmar Manufacturing and Industrial Workers' Federation (IWFM) president Daw Khaing Zar Aung in an interview with Myanmar Labor News.
“Workers at an H&M sewing factory said they started work at 6 a.m. The actual start time should be 7:30. The workers have to meet the standard of the fabric requested by the factory. They had to work overtime in the middle of the night. It's even worse for the workers who live in the factory. Some of them get up at 3 in the morning to work. Some of them have to work until 3:30 in the morning. I found that he worked more than 15 hours a day and only slept for 4 hours.”, said by Daw Khaing Zar Aung.
This is the situation faced by local factory workers in order to make a living. The Ministry of Labour under the military dictatorship is still not interested in setting a wage that is suitable for the times, enough to eat by working 8 hours a day.The Minister of Labour has still turned a blind eye to the ever-increasing commodity prices.
“We could live a humanizing life only if we get 10,000 MMK per day. Overtime should be worked by desire. Only if we want more money. But for now, although we work continuously, not only we don’t have to spend extra, but we also struggling to eat. Therefore, we want a enough wages to eat without overtime.”, said by a garment factory worker.
These are the conditions faced by local factory workers. Even though he continued to work overtime, it became more difficult to make ends meet. As long as a minimum wage rate that is appropriate for the times is not set, the labours will not be able to escape this situation.
The Ministry of Labour also needs to be aware that the 1,000 kyat wage increase by the employers is not even worth a cup of tea. The policies and the specifications of the Ministry of Labour are important to ensure the confident living for local labours.
In the current situation, young people who can work are working in the local because mandatory and seeking the chances to work in abroad. The laborers who rely only on local jobs are facing challenges to get decent jobs with self-sufficient wages.
Some of the labours who demanded an increase in the minimum wage in the workplace are also in prison, and it can be seen that the labours are facing fear due to threats from all sides.
In this situation, the Ministry of Labour, which is fully responsible, should release the arrested workers, not to arrest workers who demand labour rights and also It is necessary to set a wage that is appropriate for the times and implement it as soon as possible without delay.
Myanmar Labour News
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