Myo Thein
Jan 27, 2026
#Letter
I will first explain the oppression at the Eternal Fashion garment factory.
Daily wages are paid in a discriminatory way among workers who work together under the same roof. QC workers who inspect garments on the sewing lines are paid a daily wage of 12,000 kyats, while workers from other departments are paid only 9,500 kyats.
Another issue is that workers are hired for a designated position, but later, citing operational needs, they are transferred to different work locations and demoted.
When workers say that constantly changing work locations causes difficulties, the male HR manager responds that it is due to operational needs and says there are only two options: if we can do it, do it; if we can’t, quit. There is no negotiation at all.
The HR manager has announced that ferry routes that used to transport workers can no longer operate, and that workers must come to work on their own arrangements. Workers now have to commute by public buses.
Emergency leave stipulated by law is also not granted. Even funeral leave, requested for social reasons, has not been approved.
In the workplace, production targets are demanded unfairly. If targets are not met, the line manager shouts and threatens workers loudly from the front of the line.
Another issue is that the factory owner changes frequently. It is unknown whether the township labour offices are informed. When the owner changes, workers are not informed at all.
Line managers and supervisors receive compensation payments. Now that the owner has changed again, for the past week only line managers and supervisors have been called to meetings. The HR manager and line managers treat them outside and hold meetings.
Now it is already January and, the former owner is no longer here and a new owner has arrived. When this ownership change took place, senior leaders were secretly informed and given compensation.
Because the leaders receive high salaries, they do not care that workers’ daily wages are low. They only focus on securing their own salaries.
When the previous owner changed, compensation was secretly taken. Meetings were staged in front of the new owner, giving workers various explanations.
When workers heard that the owner had changed and went to ask, the HR manager avoided them and refused to meet. If anything happens to workers in the workplace, they are forced to sign warning letters and told to quit, with the manager saying, “I am the manager, do as I say,” without allowing any explanation or justification.
As commodity prices have risen, all workers simply want to be paid an equal daily wage of 12,000 kyats.
