By Thar Gyi - Jul 05, 2025
Workers at the Double Packing Myanmar factory report that the election process for Workplace Coordination Committee WCC representatives is disorganized and the voting was conducted inside the office in front of the managers.
“They tore sheets out of notebooks, asked us to write names of those we wanted to vote for, and made us drop them into the box right in front of them,” said a female worker.
The WCC election should begin with the selection of one representative from each department, and three will be elected from those candidates. To ensure fair voting, it’s essential that ballots be cast freely in an area without intimidation, said a labor rights advocate.
Workers also state that they do not fully enjoy their legal rights and that the workplace presents serious health and safety concerns. They mentioned that the factory only implements safety measures when inspections are pre-announced.
“There are heat-intensive jobs inside, so burns happen often. They don’t provide safety shoes. Electrical shocks occur frequently. All jobs are risky. They show safety precautions when inspections are announced in advance, but once inspections end, everything goes back to the way it was,” a worker said.
The meals provided by the factory are reportedly not nutritionally balanced, and workers also face problems with drinking water.
“The drinking water and the dorm is not clean. The rice is extremely raw. We experience stomach cramps, diarrhea, and gastritis. We are only given bean curry, pickled fish paste salad, or canned bamboo shoot curry,” one worker said.
There was a mass outbreak of diarrhea and dysentery among workers last month, though no fatalities were reported. Inspections were conducted following the incident.
“The inspectors saw workers at hazardous stations without any protective gear. But they just turned a blind eye and acted like they didn’t see anything,” said another worker.
Workers are demanding a proper re-election of WCC representatives, provision of nutritious meals, safe working conditions, and the ability to enjoy all legally entitled leave.
Double Packing Myanmar is a factory that manufactures plastic packaging materials, employing over 1,000 workers. It is owned by a Taiwanese citizen and is located on Myar Yadanar Road, Anawrahta Industrial Zone, Hlaing Tharyar Township.
