The illusion of a living wage in Myanmar’s factories

Myanmar garment workers at the Tsang Yih Shoe Factory in Yangon, which produces Adidas footwear, organized a sit-in strike demanding their daily wages be increased from 6,700 kyats ($2) to 12,000 kyats ($5). After a week of protests, the factory agreed to the 12,000 kyats total, though only 600 kyats was added to their basic pay while the rest came as allowances. This modest wage increase represents a desperate bid for survival in Myanmar's collapsed economy, where inflation has skyrocketed and a single kilogram of pork costs 35,000 kyats ($16).