Myanmar trade organization urges employers to make concession over wage issue

The Confederation of Trade Union of Myanmar (CTUM) has urged factory employers to make concession over the workers' minimum wage issue, suggesting them to take economic opportunities over the next two to three years into consideration in determining the wage, an official report said Monday.

Calling on factory employers to cooperate with the workers to boost productivity instead of disputing the proposed minimum wage, the CTUM suggested that the move would help them adapt to the country's changing situation in the years ahead.

Five Myanmar workers' federations in Yangon last Friday agreed on the government's recent designation of minimum daily wages, denying to accept further negotiations on the issue.

The workers' federations called for the formation of a socio- economic committee comprising representatives from the government, employers and employees to seek settlement of the issue.

The government on June 29 decided to set 3,600 kyats (about 3. 27 U.S. dollars) as the proposed minimum daily wage for all workers in the country after the conclusion of one year's coordination between the government, employers and labor representatives.

However, Myanmar's garment entrepreneurs objected the government-proposed minimum wage which is to be raised from 2,500 kyats, saying that if the government wage is finally adopted, many factories will be forced to close down in September.

According to the Garment Entrepreneurs' Association, more than 30 factories with foreign investment in Yangon expressed their intent to shut down in September if the proposed minimum wages take effect on Sept. 1.

The intended closure of the 30 factories may leave more than 70, 000 people jobless.