By Myo Thein - Aug 27, 2025
#Letter
To Myanmar Labour News,
We are workers from Lesmart (Myanmar) Apparel Co., Ltd, located in the Watayar Industrial Zone, Shwepyitha Township, Yangon. We are writing this letter to share the oppression we face daily and the violations of our rights as workers.
Forced Overtime and Wage Deductions
We are required to work overtime every day until 9:30 PM. On Saturdays, there are even instances where we have to work all night. We are called to do overtime even on Sundays, which should be rest days. We are left with no time to rest and are completely exhausted with nearly an entire month of this kind of extended working hour.
Violations of Human Rights and Dignity
Our personal belongings are confiscated. If a worker is suspected of contacting the labour office by phone, the manager seizes phones, wallets, and other items from 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM. They are not returned even during lunch. This effectively cuts us off from the outside world and blocks our freedom.
We are not allowed to keep drinking water bottles at our workstations. We have to walk far away from the work area if we want to drink water. Our supervisors scold us for hourly rate drop if we spend time to do that. There are even days when we don’t get to drink water at all.
Female workers are subjected to searches that reach up to the chest area at entry and exit checkpoints. Although female staff conduct the searches, a male supervisor watches from the side. This is a serious violation of the dignity of female workers.
Lack of Health Care
Though the factory has a designated infirmary, it is not equipped with any medicine except for alcohol. We have to use our own money to buy medicine and treat ourselves even when we get hand injuries.
Since we work overtime until 9:30 PM, workers who live far away have to sleep in the factory dormitory. These dormitories are full of mosquitoes, and there’s dog feces everywhere, making the environment unsanitary. This severely affects our ability to sleep and our health.
To Myanmar Labour News, we ask for your help in making our voices heard.
We humbly appeal to the relevant authorities to ensure we get justice.
Respectfully,
Workers of Lesmart (Myanmar) Apparel Co., Ltd.
