By Yoon Sat - Aug 10, 2024

On August 9, 2024, the Junta announced to pay the workers 6,800 kyats minimum wage per day.

“It was announced according to the Leave and Holiday Act. The minimum wage will be 6,800 kyats per day. We haven’t heard from the employers who raise to 7,500 kyats before whether they would pay extra 1,000 or not. I think this should be negotiated,” said a labor activist.

The Junta announced the additional allowance of 30,000 kyats per month to civil servants as a second attempt in July, but day laborers of government agencies and civilian day laborers were not counted.

Now, the Junta approved to pay minimum wages 6,800 kyats a day to every day laborers by adding an extra 1,000 kyats to the minimum wage of 4,800 kyats which was set in 2018 and the 1,000 kyat subsidy which was set in October, 2023.

According to the statement, the entitlement is approved under the 1951 the Leave and Holiday Act. And the sole proprietorships and family businesses with less than 10 workers are not counted.

Workers were facing difficulties and struggling to make a living due to the exponentially rose consumer prices and no wage raises. 

The Junta allows the civil servants 30,000 kyats subsidy in October in addition to the salary and raise the salary as a second time in August but the minimum wages of the general workers such as factory workers and workers from private sectors were raised only at this moment.