During the old days, workers were paid not in cash but in kind. As the labour movement grew stronger, systematic forms of payment were made, working hours were fixed and more benefits were given. But demands to better working conditions and higher wages have continued. We compare how the working class and the person occupying the highest government position in Asian countries are paid:

In THAILAND, the prime minister receives a monthly salary of 119,220 baht (US$3,759). The minimum daily wage for workers in key cities like Bangkok is 191 baht ($6.02) while in the provinces, it is as low as 143 baht ($4.51). Labour activists have been demanding a minimum daily wage of 233 baht ($7.34).

In SOUTH KOREA, the president gets 14 million won ($14,000) a month. As of 2008, the minimum wage is 787,930 won ($780) a month for labourers working 40 hours in a week.

In TAIWAN, the salary of the president is about 10.6 times of the local per capita income. The president gets NT$462,300 (US$15,182) monthly but a new law that seeks to institutionalise salaries for public servants proposes that the monthly compensation be set at NT$462,780 (US$15,223). The minimum wage is NT$17,280 (US$568) a month.

In the PHILIPPINES, the constitution provides that the president shall receive an annual salary of 300,000 pesos ($7,084). Workers in key cities receive a minimum daily wage between 325 pesos ($7.67) and 362 pesos ($8.54). In the provinces, workers get between 143 pesos ($3.37) and 200 pesos ($4.72) daily. Labour groups have been demanding a 125-peso ($2.95) across the board wage increase.

In INDONESIA, the president takes in a monthly basic salary of some 31 million rupiah plus another 32 million rupiah in allowances, putting the total at some 63 million rupiah ($6,674). Workers in Jakarta receive a minimum monthly salary of 972,604 rupiah ($105.32), while those in the provinces get between 568,193 rupiah ($61.52) and 1,105,500 rupiah ($119.714).

In MALAYSIA, the prime minister earns 22,826.65 ringgit ($7,200) a month. There is no minimum wage set for workers. However, plantation workers get 350 ringgit ($110) per month; raised to 700 ringgit ($220) by productivity incentives and bonuses.

In SINGAPORE, the prime minister’s annual salary is about S$3.76 million (US$2.76 million). There is no minimum wage. Domestic helpers—Indonesian and SriLankan maids—are paid S$280 (US$205) a month and Filipinos S$300 to $$350 (US$220 to US$256).

In LAOS, the president is paid 1,625,000 kip ($186.26) a month, the highest salary in the government. The salary for public officials is divided into six grades, starting from 337,000 kip ($38.62) to 1,625,000 kip ($186.26). Factory workers get 290,000 kip ($33.24) a month, the lowest salary in the business sector.

In VIET NAM, the president gets 3.77 million dong ($240) a month, while the prime minister is paid 152,000 dong ($10) less, according to a local report in 2005 when the salaries of the Vietnamese leaders were revealed to the public for the first time. The ordinary worker’s minimum wage in Viet Nam is 540,000 dong ($33.8) a month.

In INDIA, the president earns a salary of 100,000 rupees ($2,469.14) a month. The minimum daily wage ranges from 54 rupees ($1.33) to 338 rupees ($8.34). In cities like New Delhi the minimum basic wage is 133.45 rupees ($3.29) a day.

In BANGLADESH, the prime minister takes home 32,000 taka ($477) a month. Other incentives include: 150,000 taka ($2,236) worth of furniture if the prime minister decides to live outside the government residence; insurance worth 1.4 million taka ($20,872) and optional fund of 5 million taka ($74,544). The minimum basic wage of garment workers is fixed at 1,662 taka ($24.77) a day.

In JAPAN’s capital of Tokyo, the minimum wage is 719 yen per hour, the highest in the country. Monthly income from working eight hours a day for 22 days would be about 126,500 yen ($1,206).

CHINA introduced its minimum wage system in 1996 to protect labourers. The wage differs from city to city as labour officials consider the situations of their respective regions in deciding the minimum wage. They review the rate once every one or two years. In Beijing, the monthly minimum wage is 640 yuan ($92) while it is 750 yuan ($107) in Shanghai.

In NEPAL, the minimum monthly wage is fixed at 3,300 rupees ($51). The prime minister earns a salary of around 22,000 rupees ($343) a month. (Asia News Network/ AsiaNews)