By Ma Ma - Jun 20, 2024
SAC Deputy Prime Minister Ministry of Planning and Finance Union Minister, the president of the Union Commodity Price Stabilization Committee, U Win Shane said that due to the unstable rise in domestic prices, people with low incomes and employees receiving fixed salaries are mainly affected, according to the state-owned Myanmar Alin newspaper published on June 20.
The value of the kyat declined and the prices of consumer goods and medicines have risen exponentially after the coup d'état, making it more difficult for people to survive. In this situation, the Ministry of Labor under the Military Council has not reviewed the basic wage.
“Some factories raise the wages. But there are still factories that are still paying as before. They are paying a minimum wage according to the law, so the worker can't do anything. We have to endure the discomfort. Actually, the salary is only enough to buy rice and oil. We can just barely survive only if we work excessive overtime. We are having difficulties although we are working and the minister of labor is turning a blind eye on that,” said a factory worker.
Currently, the Minister of Labor has set 4,800 kyats and an additional allowance of 1,000 kyats rate is not consistent with the current rising prices. The labor activists have criticized that this rate is not comfortable for the commodity prices but no change has been made.
"The law also stipulates that comfortable wages according to the times should be given. They know it too. But they don’t change. The Ministry of Labor only has a name now. They also know that workers are barely surviving with the basic salary. It is in the employer’s favor whenever the workers report for labor right violations. So, I want to suggest to not keep that ministry anymore as they don’t do anything,” said a former member of the trade union.
Currently, a pyi (approximately 2 kg) of rice cost 6,000 kyats and a peik tha (1.63kg) of palm oil costs around 13,000 kyats. Workers are giving guest registration and petrol fees although they don’t get a salary in line with the times.
