What Myanmar law says
The Minimum Wage Law 2013 permits the National Committee for the Minimum Wage to recommend rates that vary by type of business or industry. In practice, the committee has set a single uniform rate by notification. The current floor of MMK 4,800 per 8-hour day applies equally to garments, footwear, food processing, retail, hospitality, BPO, and office work.
Industry-specific collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and SEZ-related wage agreements may set higher rates. They cannot set lower rates. Apprentice and trainee wages are covered with limited exceptions.
Sectoral application of the national floor
| Sector | Floor (MMK/day) | Common practice |
|---|---|---|
| Garments / CMP | 4,800 | Floor + skill, attendance, OT premiums |
| Manufacturing (Factories Act) | 4,800 | Floor + shift premium for night work |
| Hospitality & F&B | 4,800 | Floor + service charge |
| Retail (S&E Act) | 4,800 | Floor + commission for sales roles |
| BPO & offices | 4,800 | Almost always paid above floor |
Documentation requirements
- Wage register and payslip across all sectors must show the rate vs. the national floor.
- For garments under CMP and manufacturing, the Factories Act 1951 also requires the OT and attendance log.
- For retail and hospitality, the Shops & Establishments Act applies parallel record obligations.
- Record retention: at least 7 years.
Edge cases
- SEZ employers — bound by the national floor; SEZ tax incentives do not waive minimum wage.
- Garment CMP workers — covered, with attendance and skill bonuses commonly added.
- Apprentices — covered unless under a recognised training scheme that waives the floor.
- Family-owned businesses with under 10 employees — typically excluded from coverage.
- Government and SOE workers — covered by separate civil-service wage scales rather than the notification.
- Outsourced labour — the contracting employer is responsible for ensuring the contractor pays the floor.
Employer takeaway
Apply MMK 4,800/day as the floor in every sector — garments to BPO. Industry CBAs may exceed the floor; never undercut it. Issue compliant payslips, pay monthly wages by the 7th of the following month, and retain wage registers for 7 years. In factories, also keep OT logs under the Factories Act 1951.
Common payroll mistakes
- Assuming garment workers have a separate (lower) sectoral floor — they do not.
- Treating service-charge or commission as part of the basic wage to "top up" the floor.
- Forgetting that sector laws (Factories Act, S&E Act) sit on top of the wage floor — both apply.
- Not adjusting OT calculations to the floor when an employee's basic is at minimum (see how OT is calculated).
- Outsourcing without a flow-down clause requiring the contractor to pay the floor.
We publish practical, legally-grounded HR guidance for Myanmar employers. Each piece is reviewed by our compliance team against current MLIP and Labor Law requirements.