By Hsu Latt Phyu - Jul 02, 2025
Workers have sought assistance from the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM), stating that they are facing difficulties due to workplace rights violations at He MeT Company Limited garment factory, which operates in Hlaing Thar Yar Township.
The Chinese citizen-owned factory, which employs over 920 workers, is known to manufacture JEAN PASCALE, CHAPTER, and everme brand jackets and surplus garments.
Reported violations include demanding excessive production targets beyond workers’ capacity, making underage youth workers work like adult workers without requiring medical fitness certificates, keeping daily workers for over three months without confirming them as permanent staff, denying workers their legal entitlements such as leave and sick days, deducting social security contributions without granting related benefits, unlawful dismissals, and unjust wage deductions.
“They unfairly demand production targets. For example, they ask 45 jackets per hour for one line with 49 workers and 11 helpers. The supervisors scold and pressure us if the quota isn’t met,” said a worker.
Among the underage youth workers are those as young as 14 up to 16 years old. Around 200 of them are made to work like adult employees without medical certificates, violating legal standards and causing harm to the young workers.
Additionally, many daily workers are being made to work long-term without being confirmed, which means they lose access to legal entitlements.
“We don’t get our legal leave, sick leave, or seniority leave. They deduct social security monthly, but we still don’t get medical leave. They don’t approve any leave request. They deduct 8,000 kyat, an attendance bonus of 20,000 kyat, and the grade bonus for missing a day,” said another worker.
“There was a case where a worker wanted to quit. A supervisor followed her home and threatened her parents not to let her resign. Also, only 35,000 is paid when a worker are supposed to receive a 50,000 kyat bonus, with the rest deducted. For example, each worker in a line of 60 were deducted 15,000 kyat. That’s no small amount. This is wrong. There have also been unlawful terminations,” another worker added.
Workers also said that they have to work overtime until 7:30 p.m., making their return home late. They are often stopped and questioned since they must pass through military checkpoints, which causes stress and concern. They said they want overtime to end earlier.
Workers have demanded the employer take responsibility and stop violating workplace rights to ensure a better working environment.
The workers’ demands are:
- Employers must stop treating youth and underage workers the same as adult workers.
- Employers must not demand unreasonable production targets that workers cannot meet.
- Supervisors must not use shouting, scolding, or verbal abuse.
- Employers must allow workers to enjoy their entitled leave and medical leave.
- Supervisors must not follow workers home or threaten them after resignation.
- Employers must not schedule overtime until 7:30 p.m., as workers have to pass through military checkpoints on the way home, and overtime should end by 6 p.m.
