Myanmar sets first-ever minimum wage for workers
Yangon (dpa) - The government of Myanmar established a minimum wage of 3600 Kyats (2.80 dollars) for a standard eight-hour work day across all sectors and industries, state media said Saturday.
The country's first legal minimum wage was announced after months of protest and dispute.
The minimum wage will take effect September 1, and apply to all employees, other than small family-run business with less than 15workers, the National Minimum Wage Committee said.
The government proposed the idea in June, but it took about three months to reach agreement labour unions and employers.
Workers had pushed for a 4000 Kyat minimum as the basic amount needed to cover their daily expenses.
But employers have insisted that even 3600 Kyat is too high. Some threatened to close their factories if the government enforced the wage.
More than 30 factories with foreign investment in Yangon expressed their intent to shut down in September, which could lead to thousands of lost jobs, according to media reports last week.
