By Min Ni Kyaw - May 14, 2025

Workers at the Myanmar Xiang He Garment factory say they staged a work stoppage to demand higher wages. The protest took place today, on the afternoon of May 14, according to a worker who participated in the action.

“We didn’t go back to work after lunch. We stopped working and made our demands. We asked for a 10,000 kyat daily wage — to raise the current 8,000 kyat base plus 2,000 kyat overtime,” the workers said.

Around 500 workers from both the old and new buildings within the factory compound reportedly participated in the protest. A worker explained that rising commodity prices made it impossible to make ends meet with the current pay, prompting the demand.

“A single packet costs 1,400 kyats even if all we eat is salt. We didn’t want to go this far by resisting. We would’ve been fine if they just increased by even 500 kyats out of compassion considering inflation. But they didn’t raise it at all, so we had to protest,” the workers stated.

Armed personnel were brought into the factory compound, and soldiers were stationed inside, when workers from the old building were being called to join the protest, according to the workers.

“Soldiers showed up with guns and two cars. They sat inside the production lines. They didn’t say anything. Once they came, the leaders told the male workers to go inside, and the women were kept in the dining area. The negotiations were handled in the office. They called one worker from each line to negotiate. By evening, things had settled down,” a worker recounted.

An agreement was eventually reached between the factory and the workers to raise the daily wage to 9,000 kyats and overtime pay to 2,250 kyats. As a result, workers said they will resume normal operations tomorrow.

Myanmar Xiang He Garment factory is located on Ava Road, Shwe Pauk Kan Industrial Zone, North Okkalapa Township, Yangon, and operates two buildings — a new and an old — within the compound, according to the workers.