Around 2,000 workers staged a protest march in Hlaingthayar Township yesterday, demanding the immediate raising of the minimum daily wage to Ks 5,600.
Members of the Myanmar Labour Union Network organised the protest in cooperation with workers from Pathein, Bago, Thanlyin, Mingaladon and Hlaingthayar townships.
Hla Hla from the Myanmar Labour Union Network said: “We chanted our five demands. We called on the government to set the minimum daily wage at Ks 5,600 as quickly as possible, as commodity prices are high. The minimum daily wage of Ks 3,600 is not sufficient for us. Since 2013, we have been demanding a minimum daily wage of Ks 5,600. Basic pay in neighbouring countries are higher. Our country’s basic pay is the lowest.”
The protesters’ five demands are: to set the minimum daily wage to Ks 5,600; to apply to new rate to the two years since the current minimum wage was set; to develop housing projects for workers; to amend Myanmar’s labour laws; and to abolish the requirement for labour organizations to be approved by employers.
One worker at the protest said: “We called on the government to increase the minimum daily wage from Ks 3,600 to Ks 5,600, as basic commodity prices have grown high. We will survive only when the government can control commodity prices.”
Source: Eleven Myanmar
