By Min Ni Kyaw - Mar 06, 2025

At Fook Hing Paper Packaging factory, which employs around 200 workers, seniority leave is granted in exchange for financial compensation, but workers only receive payment for 10 days of leave after completing two years of service, according to workers. The factory is a  Chinese national-owned and operates in Ngamoeyeik Road, Watayar Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon.

One worker stated, "On Sundays and public holidays, they only pay us a daily wage of 4,800 MMK. They do not provide the 2,000 MMK allowance that the Ministry has mandated. They also do not pay overtime wages. Workers who complete one year of service are entitled to 10 days of seniority leave, but the factory only grants payment for it after two years. They do not pay it if a worker resigns before two years. The remaining workers are also unhappy about this."

The factory does not provide overtime pay for the afternoon shift although workers are required to work full-time on Saturdays. Additionally, the factory does not offer EC contracts, does not have a Workplace Coordination Committee (WCC), and does not grant permanent employment status to daily wage workers.

One worker explained, "A Myanmar national manages the factory. Workers are not allowed to read the EC contract. The contract is taken away as soon as they signed. Since there is no WCC, workers must directly report workplace issues to the manager. The manager simply tell us to resign if we tell them that we cannot work overtime."

The factory does not have a medical room or a nurse. Instead, a small number of medical supplies is kept on-site, and injured workers have to treat themselves. Workers also reported that the drinking water becomes warm during the summer. The water supply is placed only about 10 feet away from the toilets, which emit unpleasant odors.

Fook Hing Paper Packaging factory was established in 2019 with permission from DICA and has been operating for approximately seven years.