CNI News
September 19, 2023
25 percent of the salaries of the Myanmar citizens who are working abroad through agencies must be legally transferred to their families in Myanmar, said overseas employment agencies to CNI News.
25 percent of the basic salaries of the Myanmar citizens who are working abroad must be legally transferred to their families in Myanmar, which must be included in the standard contracts between the agencies and the workers, said in a statement released by the Ministry of Labor.
" The money transferred will not be lost. The families will get at the nearly market price. Now the sailars are transferring. Some sailors transfer up to 80 percent of their salaries. Every developing country takes foreign income in one way or another. There were contracts between the employer and the worker in the past. But now a contract between the agency and the worker has increased. The agency also has some points to follow. The labor side also has to comply with labor regulations” said U Win Myint, managing director of Lucky Overseas Employment Agency.
Workers who work in Thailand
If the contract is violated by the workers, there will be losses for the workers. If the agency violates it, action will be taken against, said overseas employment agencies.
The agencies must must implement the standard contracts from 1st October on, The Union Minister said on 16th September. 25 percent means that of basic salary, not including over time wages reportedly.
" The workers are facing with various difficulties. If They must transfer 25 percent, it is likely. But considering it practically, it might be weak to do so. What I want to advise that the problem of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand must be solved first. For example, relevant officials must find out if the MoU workers have trouble with documents or they get full wages. If they have these problems, officials must help them in some way. Another thing is to know what health services are for them." said Ko Naing Naing Aung, director of the Arakan Workers Organization.
Those who will go abroad for work
There were 447 licensed overseas employment agencies up to August, 2023 and of them, 10 agencies have been temporarily closed.
There are 158 licensed agencies relating to Thailand and of them 8 agencies have been temporarily closed reportedly.
At present, the contracts between the agencies and the workers to sent the MoU workers to Thailand have been allowed to sign, according to the Ministry of Labor.
Labor contracts had to be signed after agencies had gone to relevant regions and states starting from December 2022 and there were many difficulties during this period.
So, the contracts have been allowed to sign in the labor training school in Dagon Myothit (North) Township starting from 11th September, which has made more convenient, said overseas employment agencies.
