Myanmar Wanbao workers' wage issue unresolved
Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Co Ltd's workers who say they are paid less than a third that of their Chinese counterparts remain unsuccessful after 18 months of salary negotiations.
They insist they will continue to fight for their rights.
The workers who toil at the Wanbo copper mine near Yansi village, Letpadaung had hoped their latest meeting with the company would produce results, but after negotiations there was still a huge gap between the two sides. There are 300 Myanmar workers at the company.
"At present, the highest salary a Myanmar worker gets is US$ 300, but the highest salary a Chinese worker gets is US$ 1,050," electrician Po Cho said. "We are asking for an increase of one and a half times our present salary.
"The company offered a raise of 50 per cent of our present salary. The majority of the workers aren't satisfied with that."
Added another worker, Ko Myo, "If we look (at our demand compared) to wages in the rest of the country, the benefit of this project or the discrimination faced among the workers, our demand is not one-sided. We will ask till we get our demand."
