Parliament to discuss minimum wage issue in June
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Myanmar's members of parliament will discuss an important issue for the country's employees in June, as a proposal to establish an official minimum wage comes up for review, says a national committee working on the issue.
Researchers are conducting an extensive survey across the country, with canvassing on the issue in Yangon, Mandalay and Bago reportedly complete.
“The labour minister asked us to complete a proposal to submit to parliament in June for setting the minimum wage. Many negotiations are required between local workers and employers before the proposal is submitted to parliament, as problems could come up as a result,” said Naw Aung, a worker representative on the committee.
“So the minister, who is also the committee chairperson, asked concerned officials to arrange discussions on the issue between local workers and employers across the country.”
The committee is currently working on establishing a wage that will be satisfactory for both employees and employers, as well as adequate to meet the cost of living. The wage they agree on will consider basic needs for workers and their families, current wages, living standards, expenses and other individual income.
The International Labour Organisation, a United Nations agency, also cooperated with local research organisations to find out the number of workers in the country, their working hours, and their wages in regions such as Yangon, Mandalay and Bago.
Myanmar’s parliament enacted the minimum wage law last March and the government approved the related by-laws in July last year.
Earlier, Minister of Labour Aye Myint said the government would announce an official minimum wage for workers before the end of this year.
“There are several conditions to consider in detail which may also be obstacles in the process,” said Aye Mint. “There may be differences depending on regions, job types and living costs. The official minimum wage should be the kind of win-win situation for both workers and employers.”
