New housing to be built to help workers in industrial zones

08 September 2015
New housing to be built to help workers in industrial zones
Myanmar girls work in a garment factory at Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone in Yangon, Myanmar, 10 July 2015. Photo: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

The Government announced on Monday that it will spend K26 billion (US$20.3 million) on building low cost housing for workers in industrial zones the Global New Light of Myanmar reported on 7 September.
The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security will invite tenders this month for the project in Hlinethaya and Shwepyitha industrial zones. The housing structures will consist of several five-storey buildings on a total of 45 acres.
The move comes after around 500 workers lost their jobs after the minimum wage was set at K3,600 (US$2.80) for an eight-hour work day on 28 August. Other factories have reportedly stopped providing free transport and overtime pay in order to maximise their profits.