By Myo Thein
Feb 17, 2026
Workers at Asdet Myanmar Garment say they are being compelled to work up to five hours of overtime daily, in addition to overnight shifts on Saturdays. They also report working nearly eight consecutive hours from after lunch until the start of overtime, without adequate breaks.
“Overtime runs until 10 p.m. every day. They say it’s on a rotating basis, but some of us end up working all five days. Sometimes it’s three or four days. Saturday overnight shifts are also rotated some months two days, sometimes three,” a worker said.
Calculations of overtime hours at the factory show that they significantly exceed the legal limit of 20 overtime hours per week set by labor law and the Factories and General Labour Laws Inspection Department.
“We work seven hours straight from the afternoon until night. Overtime is five hours a day. we work until around 4:30 a.m. if it’s an overnight shift. That means more than 15 hours in a single stretch. We’re forced to work far too much overtime,” another worker said.
Workers report that when shifts end at 10:30 p.m., they are not allowed to leave until 5 a.m. the next morning. Those assigned to overnight shifts are only permitted to leave at 6 a.m. Employees say the excessive overtime creates serious difficulties in daily living, yet refusal is not an option.
“We have to arrange transportation ourselves. Those who finish at 10 p.m. are made to sleep at the factory, inside the production lines. It doesn’t feel safe. The next day it’s difficult to prepare meals. They don’t accept if we say we can’t work overtime, it. They never ask for workers’ consent. They force us to sign and work,” a worker said.
According to employees, line supervisors sign overtime consent forms on workers’ behalf without their knowledge. Those unable to work overtime are required to compensate the factory 3,000 kyats, reportedly to cover overtime meal costs.
Workers also say they are unable to take leave despite the heavy workload. Sick employees face difficulty obtaining gate passes to leave the factory. Even legally entitled leave is discouraged by supervisors, who allegedly threaten termination after three days of absence.
Members of the Workplace Coordinating Committee (WCC) have not negotiated on behalf of workers regarding excessive overtime, employees say. Although complaints have been submitted to labor offices, workers report that the factory has made no changes.
Asdet Myanmar Garment is a Chinese citizen-owned factory located on Meethatkan Road near the fire station roundabout in Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon. More than 900 workers are employed at the facility, according to workers.
