By Min Ni Kyaw - Oct 29, 2024

Workers at the AQUA SHOE factory in Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone report that excessive overtime requirements of the factory are making commuting difficult, causing many of them to arrive home late.

According to a 2022 directive from the Department of Labour Inspection, factories are not allowed to assign workers more than 20 hours of overtime per week.

"We’ve been working every day until 8 PM, and even until 7 PM on Saturdays since the end of the Thadingyut holiday. There were no holidays this month. We had to work for the past three Sundays as well. It’s around 10:30 PM by the time I get home, and it doesn’t feel safe at all," a female worker at the factory said.

Throughout almost all of 2024, workers have been required to work overtime until 7 PM every day and on Saturdays as well. Workers report that they have had to work continuously without breaks on overtime days.

The factory is located in Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone near the Dagon Ayar Highway, and many workers commute from areas such as Twantay, Khattaya, and Htantabin.

"We take shared transport, but even then, it’s around 9:30 PM when we get to the village. Some people from the Tantabin area still have to take a boat to get home, which adds even more to their burden. They have to walk home or call for a boat from home to cross the river in some case. In the mornings, we have to start getting ready around 3:30 AM just to catch the 6 AM ferry on time. Those coming from Twantay also have a late commute back if they’re relying on the ferry. It would be much more manageable if we could leave by 7 PM," a worker explained.

According to information from DICA, Aqua Shoes Co., Ltd is a foreign-owned company. The company is based in China and produces products such as water shoes, swim shoes, and beach shoes.