YANGON-----The Labour Department under the Ministry of Labour confirmed on December 27th that the minimum daily wage was Ks 4,800 which had been decided by National Committee on Minimum Wage.

The National Committee on Minimum Wage made a decision after holding tripartite group meetings of employers, employees and the government in accordance with Section 10, Sub-section(d) of the Minimum Wage Act-2013. The Committee issued a declaration order (2/2018) on May 14th of 2018 that the country’s daily minimum wage was Ks 4,800 or Ks 600 per hour for an eight-hour day despite objections from both labour and employers.

Currently, the rumors spread on the social media that the labour ministry decreased daily minimum wage at Ks 3,600, according to the Labour Department.

The Labour Department also reported that the Minimum Wage Law must be amended or approved in two year again in accordance with the sub-section (h) of Section-5. However, some factories had closed and some did Lay-Off because there was no commodity at the trade camps in border areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic disease. So, the procedures on Amendment of Minimum Wage Law already have been postponed. If the situation will be stable, the amendment will be carried out.

Moreover, the National Committee for Minimum Wage will have to increase its minimum daily wage without reducing its confirmed minimum daily wage at ks 4,800.   

The old minimum wage of Ks 3,600 set in September 2015.