Workers in Kyauktada stage May Day protest over minimum wage Skip to main content

Workers in Kyauktada stage May Day protest over minimum wage

More than 500 factory workers in Kyauktada Township, Yangon Region staged a May Day protest calling for immediate changes to the minimum wage.

The protesters, who were given a permit for the demonstration, shouted slogans and carried banners which read, ‘to get a minimum wage of Ks 5600 for a day’s eight-hour work’, ‘nominating permanent workers as salary work’, and ‘unity of all workers’.

At the same time, the workers also called for amendment of the 2008 Constitution, including such as sections as  436, 59 (F), 261, 418, 6 (F), 17 (B), and 60 (B). 

The procession set off from Mahabandoola Park St and paraded along Mahabandoola St, Pansodan St, Merchant St, and in the vicinity of Sule Pagoda.

“The workers have lost their rights at every age,” said lawyer Oo Htay, of the Myanmar nationwide network of union workers. “In this democratic age of transparency, the workers are losing rights, too. We can’t say it is the age of transparency if the democratic government is unable to fix the minimum wage for the sake of workers.

“What the workers in the entire country are now facing is low pay and the continual loss of rights specified by labour law. The government should fix the workers’ wages as soon as possible,” he said.

The protest was led by Myanmar’s nationwide network of union workers and joined by some members from democracy activist groups.

“We are not only earning a poor salary, but also losing many other labour rights,” said protester Kyu Kyu Win, who works in a shoe factory.  “Although we have complained about this to the Ministry of Labour, they did not take any action to solve it. Even if we work days of overtime, we earn just US$ 83 a month,” he said.

Workers from factories have been holding strikes in front of their respective businesses till now to protest against low wages and the loss of labour rights.

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5938:workers-in-kyauktada-stage-may-day-protest-over-minimum-wage&catid=44:national&Itemid=384

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chronology of the Press in Burma

1836 – 1846 * During this period the first English-language newspaper was launched under British-ruled Tenasserim, southern  Burma . The first ethnic Karen-language and Burmese-language newspapers also appear in this period.     March 3, 1836 —The first English-language newspaper,  The Maulmain Chronicle , appears in the city of Moulmein in British-ruled Tenasserim. The paper, first published by a British official named E.A. Blundell, continued up until the 1950s. September 1842 —Tavoy’s  Hsa-tu-gaw  (the  Morning Star ), a monthly publication in the Karen-language of  Sgaw ,  is established by the Baptist mission. It is the first ethnic language newspaper. Circulation reached about three hundred until its publication ceased in 1849. January 1843 —The Baptist mission publishes a monthly newspaper, the Christian  Dhamma  Thadinsa  (the  Religious Herald ), in ...

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...