Factory owners offer Ks1,500 a day

Garment entrepreneurs apparently told Daw Win Maw Tun, deputy minister for labour, employment and social security, at a meeting that they would shut down their factories if an “unreasonable” minimum wage was fixed.
Aung Lin, chairman of Federation of Trade Unions Myanmar, said: “Pressure from garment entrepreneurs before a minimum wage rate is fixed is extreme. The [national minimum wage fixation] committee will issue a new rate in accord with the law and then forward it to Parliament. Any person may remonstrate with it within 60 days. But now we have yet to release the proposed rate. If they fix a rate that cannot cover workers’ living costs, we will respond after collecting the views of labour unions across the country.”
To rapidly agree on a proposed rate, the committee will meet on June 17.
Ko Naw Aung, a worker representative on the committee, said: “It seems that the meeting may focus on the fixing of the minimum wage. We will discuss the fixing of a daily wage at not less than Ks4,000.”
Some entrepreneurs have proposed Ks3,000-4,000 per day but the garment bosses’ association have proposed just Ks1,500 per day.
Currently, workers are asking for Ks4,000 per day, like government employees and there has been widespread criticism of the clothing association’s Ks1,500 proposal.
Nwe Yin Win, a worker from Tai Yee footwear factory, said: “The daily wage of Ks1,500 is a bit low. This amount is insufficient. Now rents and food prices have gone up we face many difficulties.”
Since 2012, there have been many protests demanding higher salaries. Observers say that basic wages are relatively low by Asean standards.