Employment agencies with ties to the Myanmar military regime are planning to send Myanmar migrant workers to Russia to work in factories, workshops, and the agriculture and livestock sectors, as labor demand is high in the country amid its invasion of Ukraine, according to the agencies.
Junta-appointed Labor Minister Myint Naung stated last year that Russia had expressed a desire to recruit Myanmar workers, and the two regimes had a plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Myanmar migrant laborers to work in Russia.
The two regimes have not yet initiated a G-2-G system, but Myanmar employment agencies with ties to the regime have contacted Russian recruiters, said an overseas employment agency employee.
“We are aware that companies with ties to the regime have posted job offers, but not many. There are factories, construction sites and manufacturing industries in Russia [that can employ Myanmar workers],” he said.
Only a few overseas employment agencies have submitted demand letters to the junta’s Labor Ministry requesting permission to send workers to Russia. Potential workers will incur no costs to work in Russia.
A representative of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) said: “We haven’t sent workers to Russia before. Some agencies are exploring markets. Authorities have not yet approved [their request to send workers to Russia]. Some are even trying to penetrate the European labor market. We can’t just rely on Thailand. They’re looking at other countries. Some companies have succeeded in securing new labor markets.”
While economic sanctions imposed by Western countries including the US are taking a toll on Russia’s economy, the demand for skilled laborers has increased in Russia as citizens are serving in the military amid the ongoing fighting with Ukraine, according to a report by the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
An agency planning to send workers to Russia said: “Even though Russia is at war, the fighting is not happening all over Russia. There’s no problem. Thailand sends workers to Israel. There are some restrictions based on the region. Workers will go to areas without conflict.”
Russia is seeking Myanmar workers for jobs in the construction and shipbuilding industries, according to employment agencies.
A Myanmar citizen who asked for anonymity remarked: “No one would even think of visiting a war-torn country, let alone settle there for work. Even their citizens are fleeing, and yet the regime is planning to send its people to such a place. This clearly shows the junta’s disregard for Myanmar people.”
However, amid the civil war engulfing Myanmar, young people being forced to join the military under the conscription law, and draft-age people being restricted from leaving the country, many young people are desperate to leave Myanmar by any means, and are willing to work in any foreign country.
The minimum daily wage in Myanmar is 6,800 kyats. At an exchange rate of 4,500 kyats per US dollar, this is just over US$40 per month for 28 working days. In contrast, the minimum monthly wage in Russia is over US$200.
The junta’s Labor Ministry has not yet commented on the plans to send Myanmar workers to Russia.
