CNI News
5 June 2024
Many workers from domestic garment factories are leaving for foreign countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos, according to those who are working on labor issues.
The reason why they are going abroad to work was because their basic salary or daily wages of Myanmar are much lower than those of other countries and some were legally leaving while others, illegally, Ma Myo Myo Aye who is carrying out for labor affairs, told CNI News.
So, some factories were keeping their workers by raising salary and daily wages, she added.
" Some factories are keeping their workers by raising wages and others are calling workers by raising fees for extension date. Some factories pay 6,800 or 7,000 kyats per day and others don't raise daily wages and pay only 4,800 kyats but raise wages by other means. Some workers choose factories which pay more at the end of a month." she said to CNI News.
When factories within the country are calling recruits as there has been an increase in the number of garment factory workers who go abroad, because young women who have arrived in cities to avoid battles apply for jobs in the factories, factories have not experienced bad scarcity of worker reportedly.
Most workers go to the garment factories in China and the garment factories in Ruili on the Chinese side are calling many Myanmar workers reportedly.
However, although the Chinese garment factories initially said that they would pay 2,000 yuan per month, workers were underpaid in practice, said philanthropic associations in Muse.
While seeing garment factory workers
When entering the Chinese side, because the number of people who enter the Chinese side with temporary border pass (TBP) were so many that the Chinese authorities are checking more strictly, an official from the Beautiful Heart philanthropic association in Muse, told CNI News.
" Those who enter with TBP whose validity is seven days are strictly checked. If the authorities knew that they entered to work, they are not allowed to enter. I heard that jobs are available there. It's convenient for the people who have red books whose validity is one month. There are also many people who were sent back. Some didn't get salaries while others were arrested." he said.
Although many Myanmar workers used to go to Thailand and Malaysia in the past, this year Myanmar workers are going to the Chinese border and Laos reportedly.
Although there were about 700 CMP factories within the country, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, over 100 factories had to suspend, said U Min Min, Deputy Minister for Commerce in 2023.
