“Shwe Job”, a smartphone app which aims to raises awareness on the rights of factory workers and promote health and safety in the industrial workplace, was released on International Worker’s Day on May 1. The app, developed by the EU backed SMART Myanmar and GIZ, consists of stories, illustrations and voiceovers designed to raise awareness […]
Few workers left in deserted Magwe
December 21, 2015 by
Villages in Magwe Region are becoming ever more sparsely populated, as men and women move overseas in search of work, leaving few behind to plant and pick the region’s native crops, farmers said. Flooding in July and August destroyed thousands of acres of farmland, and hundreds of thousands more have been confiscated by the government […]
Myanmar approves first-ever national minimum wage
August 31, 2015 by
YANGON: Myanmar’s government has approved the country’s first-ever national minimum wage, state media reported on Saturday (Aug 29), after months of bitter negotiations with labour groups and employers. The wage has been set at 3,600 kyat (US$2.80) “for a standard eight-hour work day” and takes effect from Tuesday, said the state-run Global New Light […]
T-Shirt Brinksmanship: Factory Owners Threaten Shutdowns as Minimum Wage Proposal Moves Forward
July 8, 2015 by
After a national minimum wage was finalised at K3,600 ($3.2) for those working eight hours per day, garment factories have threatened to close in September when the law goes into effect, as announced at a meeting of garment factory employers at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) last week. […]
Myanmar police officers injured freeing hostages in factory rally
September 22, 2014 by
YANGON: Nine Myanmar police officers were injured as they sought to free officials held hostage by dozens of angry workers demanding wages and compensation after their factory was shuttered, authorities said on Thursday (Sep 18). More than 150 former staff descended on the Master Sport shoe facility on the outskirts of Yangon on Tuesday, demanding […]
Gap Audit Reveals Issues at Myanmar Garment Factories
September 5, 2014 by
YANGON — An audit conducted for clothing retailer Gap Inc. identified issues with working conditions, health and safety at two factories in Myanmar that are now producing garments for the United States-based company. Measures have been taken to address the so-called “compliance issues” at the Gap-supplying factories, according to a comprehensive new report compiled by […]
Myanmar workers prefer to work in Thailand
April 15, 2014 by
Large-scale commercial building projects in Rangoon are reportedly being delayed by a shortage of skilled labor because Burmese workers still prefer jobs in Thailand. More than 2 million migrant workers remain in Thailand, where there are frequent reports of abuse and cheating by employers and job agents, and thousands of Burmese also choose to endure […]
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