Unions in Myanmar are calling for a living wage for the country’s garment workers – and are urging more brands and retailers to support the Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT) living wage initiative.
The call was made at a living wage strategy meeting in Yangon last week during which affiliates of global union IndustriAll said working families in Myanmar cannot make ends meet with the new minimum wage of MMK4,800 (US$3.60) announced by the government in March 2018.
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Explaining living costs, members of the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) said that accommodation, food, transportation, education, clothes, and utilities were costly, and any notion of building savings was an “unattainable dream.”
Key obstacles to achieving a living wage in Myanmar include the reluctance of employers to share profits, and the role of brands in setting prices, IndustriAll says, noting unions cited the government’s failure to protect workers’ right when employers violate the minimum wage.
19 global brands, including H&M, Zara and Calvin Klein, have already agreed to work with IndustriAll and national trade unions to improve wages for garment workers – but trade union leaders want more companies to commit to ACT.
ACT launched in September 2015 to try to change the way companies source garments to ensure higher wages can be paid. Apparel giant PVH Corp became the first company to join from the US last year, alongside German fashion firm zLabels.
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By GlobalData“Reforming the purchasing practices of the global brands and retailers that have the greatest negative impact on wages and working conditions is a major step forward in achieving a living wage. I look forward to working with the IWFM to establish industry-wide collective bargaining,” says IndustriAll’s garment and textile industry director, Christina Hajagos-Clausen.
