BURMESE WORKERS DEMAND HIGHER WAGES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000893 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EB/TRA PACOM FOR FPA TREASURY FOR OASIA:SCHUN GENEVA FOR LABOR ATTACHE E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: ELAB ECON EINV PREL PGOV BM SUBJECT: BURMESE WORKERS DEMAND HIGHER WAGES REF: A) RANGOON 817 B) RANGOON 749 RANGOON 00000893 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Between January and August, Burmese workers in industrial zone areas protested more than 60 times, often calling for higher wages or improved working conditions. Approximately 180,000 workers are employed in industrial zone factories, making an average of $23 a month. Laborers in industrial zones must work 48-hour weeks, and often work 20 hours of overtime. While some factory owners maintain excellent working conditions and treat their staff well, others take advantage of their employees by paying them low wages and forcing them to work in cramped and decrepit buildings. The GOB discourages workers from living together in an attempt to prevent them from organizing. Although the majority of labor strikes end with laborers obtaining higher salaries, the GOB does not ensure that factories follow labor laws. End Summary. Workers in Industrial Zones -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Ministry of Industry (I) reports that more than 9,500 factories operate in the 18 industrial zones located throughout Burma (ref A). As of August 2007, these factories employed a total of 179,966 workers, most of whom were women. Under Burmese labor laws, these factory employees are considered to be skilled workers (despite their actual skill levels) and must work 48-hour/six-day work weeks. These workers receive an average salary of 30,000 kyat ($23) per month, which is double the legal minimum wage. Often times, they are called upon to work overtime, and while they should receive double salary for the extra time worked, several employees told us that they receive only 5,000 kyat ($3.50) in addition to their regular pay. ¶3. (SBU) While some factories provide housing quarters to a limited number of employees, most of the workers live close to the industrial zone areas, renting small apartments with four or five other workers. Julia Chung, Director of Crocodile Trading Company, informed us that because of government regulations, many factories no longer maintain employee dormitories. She explained that the government did not allow workers to live together due to concern that the employees would be more likely to either try to form a union or band together and cause political unrest. Many factories now provide transportation ("ferries") for staff, which acts as an incentive for workers and also ensures that they arrive to work on time. Many of the workers' families remain in their villages, so workers share apartments close to the industrial zones and often return home on weekends to visit their families and remit money. Protesting Industrial Zone Conditions -------------- ¶4. (SBU) During the past few weeks, we visited several factories, touring facilities and observing operations and labor conditions. The factories we visited were either 100 percent Burmese-owned or registered under Burmese names but received funding from foreign companies. (Note: Burma's investment laws do not favor foreign companies, which must pay their bills and taxes in foreign currency at the official exchange rate of 6 kyat/$1. Locally owned companies pay in kyat at the market rate of 1350. Many companies registered under Burmese names are actually financed by foreign companies. End Note.) Interestingly, none of the foreign factories responded to our meeting requests. During the factory tours, owners were happy to point out their "modern" facilities (some more than others), explain how the factory was run, detail how their staff was organized, and emphasize their sterling labor practices. Owners were also quick to highlight that not all factories upheld the same RANGOON 00000893 002.2 OF 003 high labor standards, and pointed out that in many instances, laborers are treated poorly and forced to work long hours with little or no extra pay. ¶5. (SBU) According to Myat Thin Aung, Treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce, 61 worker protests took place in industrial zone factories this year. The majority of protests occurred in garment factories, and 37 transpired in factories in Rangoon's Hlaing Thayar industrial zone, the largest industrial zone in Burma. The workers demanded higher salaries, shorter hours, and/or improved working conditions. Julia Chung explained that while government factory employees work in the worst conditions, they do not strike because they fear they will be arrested. ¶6. (SBU) These labor protests are fairly uniform, U Kyaw Win of Tri-Diamond Trading detailed. After agreeing upon what issue to raise and designating a spokesperson, workers arrive at the factory and, instead of working, gather outside and "protest." These labor strikes, U Kyaw Win clarified, are neither violent nor politically motivated; the workers just want better conditions. Factory owners then meet with the designated spokesperson, evaluate whether the demands are reasonable, and start negotiations. At times, the factories call in a Ministry of Labor representative to assist with negotiations. U Kyaw Win noted that more than 90 percent of these protests end within one day, with the factories meeting at least part of the workers' demands. However, earlier this year, one factory closed after the staff demanded an additional 15,000 kyat/month ($11) per person for 1,000 workers. The owner decided that he was not making enough profit to cover the salary demands, and instead closed the factory. ¶7. (SBU) Julia Chung told us that after the fuel price hike in mid-August (ref B),many factories faced these types of protests. The increase in fuel prices triggered an increase in the cost of transportation and basic food commodities, as well as the depreciation of the kyat from 1305 kyat/$1 on August 14 to 1370/$1 on September 7. In this case, most factories responded by providing additional compensation from 5,000 to 10,000 kyat per person per month. Government Protection of Rights? -------------- ¶8. (SBU) U Kyaw Win emphasized that although the Ministry of Labor may become involved in a labor protest and encourage a company to settle with the workers, the government has little concern for labor rights. Instead, he explained, the government tries to ensure that companies continue to operate as normal and that labor strikes do not become political. The GOB does little to ensure that factories in industrial zones uphold labor laws and continues to deny the formation of unions. Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Although we were unable to see firsthand the factories that are the worst violators of labor rights, we hear horror stories from workers about the terrible conditions. State-owned factories are one of the worst violators of labor rights, and continue to disregard the basic needs of the people. Senior generals believe that by repressing the workers and impeding their ability to organize, they can contain any political frustrations they may have. As economic conditions continue to deteriorate, the workers have less to lose, raising the risk of political backlash. RANGOON 00000893 003.2 OF 003 VILLAROSA