Discrimination and Safety Concerns Faced by Male Garment Workers (or) Labour Right Violations of 2024 December

Myanmar Labour News reported 33 articles covering labour law violations and rights abuses at 29 factories and workplaces in December 2024.

These reports include cases from garment factories, footwear factories, toy factories, and bag-making factories, as well as food and beverage industries and telecommunication companies.

Among the key concerns highlighted in these reports are the discrimination faced by male workers in the garment industry and the growing sense of insecurity for both male and female workers due to the military conscription law. These issues stand out as significant developments for December.

According to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA), the garment industry employs nearly 500,000 workers, with male workers making up only about 10% of the total workforce, as cited in various research publications related to the Myanmar garment industry.

How Male Workers Face Discrimination

Although male workers represent a minority in the garment industry, they occupy key roles in various sectors, including fabric cutting, sewing, packaging, management, and supervisory positions.

Reports from certain factories indicate cases of discrimination against male workers, such as at FZ GARMENT CO., Ltd, https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/male-workers-are-denied-permanent-employment-and-medical-leave-despite-social-security-deductions , SAFETY CLOTHING (Myanmar) Co., Ltd https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/safety-clothing-myanmar-co-ltd-reduces-promised-salaries-by-deducting-ticket-fees , and Feng Teng Garment https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/feng-teng-garment-denies-statutory-leave-and-cuts-entitlements

The main forms of discrimination mentioned in these reports include the failure to promote male workers to permanent positions, deliberate dismissal of male employees, and requiring them to work overtime without proper compensation.

Discrimination against male workers is not new for December. In October, reports from Myanmar QI Yuan Garment (2) https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/male-workers-at-myanmar-qi-yuan-garment-factory-face-discrimination  highlighted similar incidents, where male workers were deliberately targeted and mistreated.

Male employees at Myanmar QI Yuan Garment reported being verbally abused and excluded from being promoted to permanent staff, despite fulfilling the same roles as their female counterparts. They were also assigned physically demanding tasks, such as standing for long hours on production lines.

A female worker from Myanmar QI Yuan Garment shared her perspective, stating, “Supervisors and line leaders don’t differentiate between male and female workers anymore. They yell and curse equally at both. But for the male workers, being scolded in front of female workers is humiliating. Many of them quit because of it. Honestly, production would never be completed on time without male workers.”

While male and female workers receive the same daily wages and other allowances, it was reported that the factories set lower grade levels for male employees, resulting in lower overall salaries.

In addition, a female worker mentioned that the factory does not appoint male workers as permanent employees.

A worker from FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd described the conditions as follows in the report from December regarding discrimination against male workers:

"The factory employs minors aged 14, 15, and 16 without medical certification. There are around 60 of them. Young male workers don’t get permanent status either. They are not appointed as permanent employees no matter how long they have worked. They are called in when there is a lot of work, but they get dismissed when there are less tasks. They are called back temporarily if work becomes urgent again."

A worker from SAFETY CLOTHING (Myanmar) Co., Ltd said that “They hire male sewing workers, but they cut the workforce whenever they want, saying it’s due to downsizing. They don’t provide any compensation or severance pay if they dismiss them.”

At Feng Teng Garment, male workers reported being forced to unload raw materials from containers, with no outside labour hired for the task.

"Other factories hire external workers to unload containers with raw materials, but at our factory, it’s always the male workers who have to do it. It’s always the male workers who are tasked with unloading regardless of whether it’s a small or large load, whether its fabric rolls or packaging materials. The factory has never hired external labour to do this," explained a male worker.

Upon reviewing Myanmar Labour News reports, 28 specific cases of workplace rights violations were identified.

These issues are based on current labour laws in Myanmar, the standards set by the International Labour Organization (ILO), gender equality norms, and human rights principles.

With these foundational issues in mind, the reports published in December were analyzed, and the findings are presented as following.

Security Concerns Linked to Forced Overtime Work

In December 2024, Myanmar Labour News reported that most of the violations involved forcing workers to work overtime illegally, with 16 factories identified for such violations. Nearly all of these factories are garment production facilities, with one being a food production factory.

Out of the 29 factories covered in the reports, 16 were found guilty of breaking overtime regulations, making up about 55% of the recorded violations. A worker from New Fubon expressed their concerns regarding these excessive overtime demands as follows:

"We’ve been forced to work overtime throughout the entire month. They’ve been making us work non-stop since the beginning of this month, without organizing any transport for us. Nothing has changed even though we complained about being made to work overtime without proper transportation arrangements. We’ve had to work until 9 PM or sometimes even until 11:30 PM this whole month. We encounter issues with security patrols and get questioned when we head home after working overtime. The factory takes no responsibility at all for such cases."

Workers from New Plus factory also stated that despite being required to work overtime, there has been no offering from the factory about ensuring worker safety or taking responsibility.

"The factory keeps forcing us to work overtime. We can only feel safe when we finally reach home even after finishing work at 8 PM. We frequently come across different security forces in various forms. It no longer feels safe when going home. These groups are present not only at night but also during the daytime. Now it’s not just about nighttime dangers—people are being randomly conscripted even during the day. We’ve been made to work overtime until 8 PM daily since November, and it’s been two months now. They are still making us work overtime. Our families won’t be able to pay the ransom if we are conscripted for whether military or hard labour, which can cost millions of kyats. Our families, who rely solely on our labour for survival, will face serious hardships."

“We want the factory to issue some kind of official letter supporting us since they’re forcing us to work overtime. Everyone has their employee ID card, but we’d like the factory to provide a letter of support. Right now, it’s not just about men or women—everyone is at risk of being taken. It’s certain that the factory won’t help us resolve if something like that happens,” another worker added.

Factories with the Highest Types of Violations

According to a review of the labour news reported in December, the factories with the highest types of labour rights violations were garment factories and they are FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, Feng Teng Garment, and New Fubon Co., Ltd.

Factories mentioned twice in the news reports include FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, Golden Colour Fashion (Myanmar), Mai Yi Bei (Yangon) Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd, and New Fubon Co., Ltd. The labour law and workers' rights violations in these factories are outlined in the attached graph.

Most Common Types of Violations

The two most common types of violations reported in December were forced overtime beyond legal limits and wage cuts affecting workers’ rightful earnings. These two categories of violations were reported in 16 factories each, according to the news.

Factories accused of forcing workers to work overtime beyond legal limits include Delo Myanmar, DONG LONG (Pathein) https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/workers-at-pathein-dong-long-garment-factory-seek-solutions-to-workplace-rights-violations , ETERNAL FASHION Co., Ltd, Feng Teng Garment, FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, HERMITE https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/her-mite-toy-factory-refuses-to-pay-workers-wages , Mai Yi Bei (Yangon) Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Blue Moon, Myanmar GiGi Leather Goods Manufactory https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/myanmar-gigi-bag-factory-workers-transferred-without-consent , Myanmar RUIXIN shoes, Myanmar York, New Fubon Co., Ltd, New Plus, Nice Food Myanmar https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/workers-at-nice-food-myanmar-bakery-forced-to-work-12-hours-a-day , San Yu https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/forcing-child-laborers-to-work-overtime-without-pay , and Sunrise Myanmar Fashion Garment.

Wage Deductions

Factory owners and managers have been reported to deny workers legally entitled leave and deduct wages, force work on holidays without appropriate pay, withhold wages due to debts, refuse to pay for overtime work, and provide only partial payment of agreed wages, deny compensation upon termination, withheld legally entitled wages, and reduce service length.

In December, wage cuts were reported in 16 factories, including Rong Da Garment https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/letter-from-a-worker-at-rong-da-garment-factory , SAFETY CLOTHING (Myanmar) Co., Ltd https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/safety-clothing-myanmar-co-ltd-reduces-promised-salaries-by-deducting-ticket-fees , SHUANGXI MYANMAR GARMENT Co., Ltd, Wounderful Apparel Co., Ltd, ETERNAL FASHION Co., Ltd, Feng Teng Garment, HERMITE, DONG LONG (Pathein), Mai Yi Bei (Yangon) Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Blue Moon, Myanmar York, New Fubon Co., Ltd, San Yu, FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, and Delo Myanmar, as well as Nice Food Myanmar, a confectionery factory.

Coercion and Threats

In December, 14 reports of coercion and intimidations were highlighted in the news. These incidents included forcing workers to work overtime under threat of termination, denying workers’ legally entitled leaves and deduct wages, setting unreasonable production quotas, discriminating against workers who refused overtime, withholding wages, refusing to record attendance, imposing warnings and reprimands, and subjecting workers to verbal abuse.

Coercion and intimidations were reported in 15 factories, including Delo Myanmar, Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, DONG LONG (Pathein), Feng Teng Garment, FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, HERMITE, Mai Yi Bei (Yangon) Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Blue Moon, Myanmar GiGi Leather Goods Manufactory, Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion, Myanmar RUIXIN shoes, New Fubon Co., Ltd, SAFETY CLOTHING (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, and San Yu.

Production Targets Demands and Verbal Abuse in the Workplace

Violations linked to coercion and intimidations also include forced demands for higher production targets.

A production target refers to the number of garments that can be completed within an hour. Internationally, these production targets are determined by making a sample product and setting the standard accordingly. However, whether factories in Myanmar, which produce various garment designs, follow this process remains unclear.

According to information gathered by Myanmar Labour News, some factories determine production targets by calculating the sewing rate, working hours, and workforce capacity. However, Myanmar garment workers claim they are unaware of any official process for determining production targets in local factories.

In addition to coercion and intimidations, it has been found that verbal abuse accompanies the demand for production targets. Workers frequently report that factories unilaterally set high production targets, intimidate them with non-payment if targets are not met, force them to work overtime under pressure to meet quotas, and issue termination intimidations. Many workers experience these forms of violations.

Furthermore, workers report being verbally abused and even physically assaulted when they fail to meet production targets during regular working hours.

In December, news reports highlighted 11 factories where unilateral production targets were demanded, and verbal abuse was common. These factories were mentioned in 13 separate reports. The factories involved include Delo Myanmar, DONG LONG (Pathein), ETERNAL FASHION Co., Ltd, FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, Mai Yi Bei (Yangon) Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Blue Moon, Myanmar GiGi Leather Goods Manufactory, New Fubon Co., Ltd, SAFETY CLOTHING (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, SHUANGXI MYANMAR GARMENT Co., Ltd, Wounderful Apparel Co., Ltd, Golden Colour Fashion (Myanmar), HERMITE, and Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion.

Termination without Legal Grounds

There were 12 news reports in December about illegal termination, involving 11 factories. The reports mention instances where workers were hired on a daily wage basis and terminated before completing three months of service, workers were dismissed after completing three months but without being made permanent, workers who refused to do overtime were fired, discrimination-based termination occurred, and union members were fired. Additionally, cases were reported where factories failed to pay legally entitled compensation and wages after termination.

The factories accused of wrongful termination in December include Dishang Fashion (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Feng Teng Garment, FZ GARMENT Co., Ltd, HERMITE, Myanmar Huasheng Kefu Fashion, Myanmar Xiang Rui Fashion Co., Ltd https://www.myanmarlabournews.com/en/posts/myanmar-xing-rui-factory-discriminate-a-worker-who-declined-to-work-overtime , New Fubon Co., Ltd, SAFETY CLOTHING (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Sunrise Myanmar Fashion Garment, and Wounderful Apparel Co., Ltd.

Violations of Labour Laws and Rights Reported Less than 10 Times

In December, reports in Myanmar Labour News revealed 12 cases from 9 factories where issues such as lack of transport services, inadequate sanitation facilities, drinking water, and insufficient medical supplies at workplace clinics were prevalent. Additionally, there were 7 reports from 7 factories concerning discrimination, 7 reports from 6 factories about employing underage workers, and 5 reports involving factories instructing workers to deceive or hide information from visiting inspection teams.

Moreover, other cases such as the violation of daily wage workers' rights, the dismissal of union members, workplace injuries, forced substitution of off-days with work, denial of rights for pregnant female workers, reduction of service lengths, violation of WCC committee rights, insufficient rest breaks, assigning non job-related tasks, forcing continuous overtime without proper breaks, direct orders from foreign supervisors in workplaces, and instances of workers protesting to demand their rights were also highlighted in the December reports.

Workers’ Safety Remains the Most Critical Issue

In the garment manufacturing sector, which generates foreign currency through manual labour, the workforce remains the most vital component. However, the current situation shows that there is no assurance of safety for the majority of workers. Despite workers expressing ongoing concerns about their safety during commutes, factory officials and employers have not taken responsibility to address the matter. Even though factories are failing to ensure worker safety, the number of factories enforcing overtime work continues to rise, according to the reports.

No Changes by Year-End

Despite December being the final month of the year, Myanmar’s workers are still not benefiting from the rights guaranteed by law, as evidenced by the continued cases of wage deductions.

Instances of discrimination and verbal abuse in the workplace continue, and with the absence of sufficient support and intervention, such issues have become commonplace. There are numerous cases of verbal abuse and physical mistreatment occurring in workplaces, and there is evidence showing that township labour offices are failing to resolve these problems.

Frequent changes to work schedules and off-days are causing difficulties for employers, while workers continue to face forced substitution of rest days with work. Even though it is well understood that merely forming sham worker committees cannot resolve labour disputes at factories, real changes have yet to be implemented.

Therefore, it is urged that workers, union leaders, support organizations, labour federation members, and responsible authorities take action to address these issues. Additionally, there is a need to develop sustainable policies and procedures to ensure long-term benefits for workers.

Min Ni Kyaw

Myanmar Labour Society
Research Team