CESD’s Executive Director, Dr Zaw Oo, has been assisting discussions on the national minimum wage, notably the calls for a minimum wage for garment factory workers.

Dr Zaw Oo co-mediated a minimum wage workshop, attended by representatives of the labour ministry, employer groups and trade union representatives, in Yangon in mid-June. The workshop was organised by the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce (UMFCCI).

Dr Zaw Oo was quoted in The Myanmar Times (23 June 2015) as saying “the minimum wage [for garment factory workers] could be set between those earned in Cambodia and Bangladesh, two of Myanmar’s main competitors in attracting foreign investors away from China. He suggested from K3200 to K4000 a day was a ‘fair’ amount to start with and that all would have to overcome difficulties together.”