Myanmar Labour Society monitors human rights conditions, international organizations, and violations of laws and regulations within Myanmar’s labor sector, collects relevant data, and releases monthly reports.

The monitoring and analysis are primarily based on news published on the Myanmar Labour News website, and the information presented in the reports is compiled from those news articles. According to a responsible person from Myanmar Labour News, the published news is based on reliable information obtained directly from affected workers themselves, as well as through labor federations, labor unions, and assistance organizations.

During December, a total of 28 news articles were published reporting factories and workplaces alleged to have violated labor rights and laws.

Within those reports, 27 factories were identified. Among them were 21 garment factories, and one each of an electronic factory, glove factory, hat factory, consumer goods factory, shoe factory, and adhesive factory. Among these, garment factories, shoe factories, glove factories, and hat factories fall under the CMP type of business.

CMP businesses are among the top contributors to Myanmar’s export earnings. During the 2022–2023 fiscal year, over an 11-month period, CMP garment exports reportedly generated USD 4.7 billion. Although this sector remains a leading source of national income, Myanmar Labour Society’s monthly summary reports show that violations of labor rights and laws are also widespread.

After the military seized power from the civilian government, labor rights violations within the CMP sector increased significantly. This occurred during a period when the sector had contributed up to 26% of total export value.

Among the news reported in December, Myanmar Labour Society identified violations including wage deductions, coercion and threats, denial of legally mandated leave and benefits, forced overtime, discrimination, and verbal abuse and harassment.

Such violations run counter to existing laws and regulations and must also be recognized as violations of human rights.

Factories and Products Reported in the News During December 2025

**Myanto Industrial Co.Ltd was reported twice**

Wage Deductions

Among the most frequent incidents occurring in factories and workplaces in Myanmar, illegal wage deductions rank at the top. Although such practices are illegal under the law, and despite repeated criticisms and statements by labor activists, enforcement and accountability remain extremely weak.

Out of the 27 factories and workplaces reported for violating labor laws and workers’ rights during December, as many as 20 factories were involved in various forms of wage deductions, accounting for more than 74 percent.

According to the findings, these violations primarily breach the Myanmar Payment of Wages Law (2016), ILO Conventions No. 138 and 182, and Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The forms of wage deductions identified include failure to pay overtime wages in accordance with the law, reduction of allowances, deduction of attendance bonuses due to alleged absenteeism, underpayment of daily wage workers and child workers, arbitrary reduction of bonuses without justification, classifying leave as unauthorized and deducting daily wages and other benefits, reducing wages due to changes in job assignments or work locations, non-payment of overtime fees, unlawful dismissal without compensation, and deduction of undocumented tax payments.

The factories involved in these violations include CYKK, Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Haejii (Myanmar) Apparel, Hengrun Myanmar Co., Ltd, Huasheng Golden Fashion, Mai Yi Bei Garment, Max Technology, Myanmar GiGi, Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion Co., Ltd, Myanmar LNY (2) CAPS Co., Ltd, Myanmar Zande Garment, Myanto Industrial Co., Ltd, RHEA WORKSHOP, Saifeom International Garment Myanmar, Sky Fashion Myanmar Co., Ltd, Sunlong Sprot, Win Land Co., Ltd, Xing Yuan (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Yangon Wan Ping Garment, and the Godzilla mosquito coil and soap factory.

Most of these factories are CMP-type garment manufacturing factories, and they also include electronic and toy factories.

Coercion, Intimidation, and Forced Work

The cases of coercion and intimidation identified during December constitute serious violations not only of individual workers’ fundamental rights but also of human dignity.

These include threatening workers with dismissal for demanding wage increases, threatening termination for refusing to work overtime, dismissing workers beyond the terms stipulated in EC contracts, retaliatory threats against workers who filed complaints, abusive verbal attacks by line leaders, supervisors, and HR managers over production targets, publicly humiliating workers who refuse overtime, cutting skill allowances, downgrading grades and forcing workers to compete against one another to create psychological pressure, forcing workers to work overnight without consent, coercing workers to sign documents, issuing warning notices under pressure, requiring unpaid work on Sundays, threatening non-payment of wages for refusal to work, keeping factory gates locked, lack of drinking water, poor sanitation facilities, absence of clinics and nurses, demanding production targets until workers collapse, and complete denial of medical leave.

A total of 18 factories were involved in these coercion and intimidation cases, with 19 news reports published. These violations involve more than 66 percent of the factories reported. The factories include garment, bag manufacturing, toy, and consumer goods factories.

The factories involved are CYKK, Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Haejii (Myanmar) Apparel, Hengrun Myanmar Co., Ltd, Johnson Company Limited, Mai Yi Bei Garment, Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion Co., Ltd, Myanmar Sport Co., Ltd, Myanmar Zande Garment, Myanto Industrial Co., Ltd, RHEA WORKSHOP, Shun Yu Myanmar Garment, Sky Fashion Myanmar Co., Ltd, Sunlong Sprot, Win Land Co., Ltd, Xing Yuan (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Yangon Wan Ping Garment, and the Godzilla mosquito coil and soap factory.

Denial of Legally Mandated Leave and Leave Benefits

This is a violation commonly found in most CMP businesses in Myanmar. Although clear legal provisions exist, workers continue to be denied leave and leave-related benefits.

The denial of leave and leave benefits constitutes violations of the 1951 Factories and Labour Law (Leave and Holidays), while the denial of medical leave violates the 2012 Social Security Law.

During December, cases were identified in which workers applied for medical leave but were denied, were verbally abused for taking medical leave, had wages deducted even when taking Social Security Board (SSB) leave, had medical leave classified as absenteeism resulting in deductions of daily wages and attendance bonuses, were unable to take seniority leave, received only 6,800 kyats for seniority leave, had wages deducted despite applying for leave, were forced to work on official public holidays without consent, were required to work on alternative days instead of being granted official holidays, were threatened with wage deductions and attendance bonus cuts if they did not work on holidays, had daily wages, attendance bonuses, and skill allowances deducted regardless of the type of leave taken, and were dismissed without compensation on the grounds of absenteeism for taking leave.

A total of 16 businesses were involved in leave-related violations. These factories include garment factories, headwear factories, toy factories, electronic factories, and consumer goods manufacturing factories.

The factories involved are CYKK, Haejii (Myanmar) Apparel, Hengrun Myanmar Co., Ltd, Huasheng Golden Fashion, Mai Yi Bei Garment, Max Technology, Mei Jie (Myanmar), Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion Co., Ltd, Myanmar LNY (2) CAPS Co., Ltd, Myanmar Zande Garment, Myanto Industrial Co., Ltd, RHEA WORKSHOP, Saifeom International Garment Myanmar, Shun Yu Myanmar Garment, Sky Fashion Myanmar Co., Ltd, and the Godzilla mosquito coil and soap factory.

Forced Overtime

This violation occurs most frequently in garment factories, and during December a total of 14 factories were involved in forced overtime violations.

In these factories, workers were pressured to sign overtime consent forms, overtime was declared “mandatory” with no right to refuse, workers were forced to work on Sundays and government holidays without consent and required to take substitute days instead, workers were threatened with dismissal, wage deductions, or loss of daily wages if they refused overtime, were verbally abused in front of others, forced to sign warning notices, made to work overtime without receiving any wages or with reduced pay, forced to work nearly 120 hours of overtime, required to work overnight overtime under the pretext of failing to meet production targets, made to work late into the night without ferry arrangements, required to return home at their own expense, provided no food support for overtime work, and forced to continue working without gate passes even when sick or facing emergencies.

These practices primarily violate the 1951 Factories Act, the 2016 Payment of Wages Law, and provisions contained in Employment Contracts (EC).

These violations were identified at CYKK, Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Johnson Company Limited, Mai Yi Bei Garment, Myanmar GiGi, Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion Co., Ltd, Myanmar LNY (2) CAPS Co., Ltd, Myanmar Sport Co., Ltd, Myanmar Zande Garment, Saifeom International Garment Myanmar, Shun Yu Myanmar Garment, Xing Yuan (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Yangon Wan Ping Garment, and the Godzilla mosquito coil and soap factory.

Discrimination

During December, discrimination-related cases included supervisors arbitrarily and dishonestly assigning skill levels (grades) according to personal preference and paying different skill allowances to different workers, paying daily wage workers lower daily wages and overtime pay despite performing the same work as permanent workers, discriminatory distribution of bonuses and wages, selectively assigning overtime based on favoritism, excluding certain workers from overtime without justification, granting leave in a discriminatory manner, completely denying medical leave and casual leave, withholding further overtime opportunities from those who refuse overtime, demanding production targets from pregnant workers, hiring underage workers (child labor) in a discriminatory manner and paying them reduced wages, dismissing or transferring complainants or worker representatives, downgrading grades, forcing workers to work on religious and ethnic festival days without regard for their significance, verbally abusing workers, and forcibly transferring workers to other departments without cause.

These incidents were found in 11 factories, including bag factories, garment factories, and consumer goods factories. The factories involved are Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Haejii (Myanmar) Apparel, Hakers, Hengrun Myanmar Co., Ltd, Mei Jie (Myanmar), Myanmar GiGi, Myanmar Zande Garment, Saifeom International Garment Myanmar, Sunlong Sprot, Tianjin Fashion Milestone, and the Godzilla mosquito coil and soap factory.

Under the law, employers are required to provide equal rights and equal wages to workers under the same working conditions. However, the findings show that discrimination is occurring based on favoritism and retaliation among workers.

Such discriminatory practices violate the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 111 and the “equality” principles contained in Myanmar employment contracts (EC).

Verbal Abuse and Harassment

“Harassment and abuse” occurring within factories constitute serious violations not only of Myanmar labor laws but also of fundamental human rights and international standards.

Under the terms of employment contracts (EC), employers and workplace managers are prohibited from engaging in “immoral conduct” or “rude and abusive language” toward workers. The current cases directly violate the principle of mutual respect stipulated in those contracts.

The identified cases include verbally abusing and shouting at workers in front of others for failing to meet production targets, threatening to “settle matters outside,” repeatedly threatening dismissal or wage deductions, constant surveillance, discriminatory remarks, shouting through microphones to exert pressure, ordering workers not to eat meals or snacks, and forcing workers to continue working until they collapse.

Such incidents were found in factories including Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Haejii (Myanmar) Apparel, Mai Yi Bei Garment, Max Technology, Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion Co., Ltd, Myanmar Zande Garment, Myanto Industrial Co., Ltd, RHEA WORKSHOP, Shun Yu Myanmar Garment, and Win Land Co., Ltd.

Other incidents reported during December include nine factories each involved in forced production targets and violations of the Social Security Law, eight factories each involved in unlawful dismissals and lack of a decent working environment, seven factories that failed to comply with WCC laws, three factories forcing workers to perform other types of work, and two factories each involved in suppressing and dismantling labor unions and organizations, supervisors deducting money, use of child labor, violations against daily wage workers, and failure to provide adequate rest breaks.

In addition, violations such as instructing workers to provide false answers or evade inspections, forcing work in lieu of rest days, violations against pregnant workers, breaches of employment contracts, and forcing workers to work continuously for more than five hours were each found in one factory.

Based on Myanmar labor laws, ILO conventions, and human rights standards, Myanmar Labour Society categorized 27 types of violations, and among the labor rights violation news reported in December, 22 types of violations were identified.

Myanmar Labour Society states that these findings aim to support the reform of Myanmar labor laws in line with international standards and expresses the hope that the findings will be useful for labor federations, labor union members, and labor rights advocates.

Myanmar Labour News Background

MLN focuses specifically on the labor sector in Myanmar and is the country’s first independent digital media platform led by Myanmar youth. It aims to support equal access for all workers to freedom of expression, workplace justice, and labor rights, to ensure clear and accessible understanding of information, and to contribute to the social development of grassroots communities.

Myanmar Labour Society

MLS works intensively on collecting information and conducting research, producing monthly and annual reports, organizing trainings to disseminate knowledge on labor rights, training freelance journalists to expose and report on labor rights violations, and providing vocational education related to workers’ education, health, and understanding of labor laws.

Support and assistance are invited to help ensure the continued publication of Myanmar Labour News monthly reports and the production of high-quality monthly and annual reports.

Myanmar Labour Society
Research Team

Written by – Min Nyi Kyaw
Edited by – Su Labb Phyu
Design – Kyaw Gyi

Contributing Journalists

• Su Labb Phyu
• Min Nyi Kyaw
• Thar Gyi
• Myo Thein