Hostel fees are now rising in some Yangon locations where most workers stay, said the activists advocating for workers’ affairs.
“We can’t tell the hostel owners not to hike the rate. They have to bear some overhead charges on their part. If they need to repair something broken in the rented hostel, the repair charges have now doubled. Other costs are also increasing because of approaching Thingyan, so they inevitably have to raise the fee. There are many rising costs such as electricity bills and cooking. While the salary is the same with no increase, workers have to pay more for hostel fees. A room at K 40,000 has gone up to K 60,000,” said a labour advocate.
Monthly rentals range from K 40,000 for singles to K 80,000 to K 100,000 for families, depending on the size of the room.
As people in Yangon have to rely on firewood or LPG gas for cooking rather than electricity, this adds to the cost of living.
If the time when the workers arrive back to the hostels coincide with the time the electricity is cut, they have to buy gas or firewood for cooking out of their already limited pockets.
“Look, the salary we got used to be just enough to cover the costs. Now, the cost of living has gone up and it is now difficult to make both ends meet,” he said. – MT/ZN
