Myo Thein
Workers told the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) that management at the Hengrun Myanmar Co., Ltd.–owned garment factory is denying workers legally mandated leave and leave benefits, while marking them absent and cutting daily wages and other entitlements.
“They don’t give casual leave or medical leave. We even have social security cards, but even if the social security clinic issues a medical leave slip, they still mark it as absence. Once it’s marked as absence, they deduct the daily wage and the attendance bonus. We don’t even know what service leave is supposed to look like anymore,” workers said.
Workers said the factory deducts 11,000 kyats from the daily wage and 60,000 kyats from the attendance bonus when a day is recorded as absence.
Under the 1951 Factories Act, workers are entitled to casual leave, medical leave, and service leave, with full pay during approved leave periods.
Although a Workplace Coordinating Committee (WCC) has been formed at the factory, workers said it does not resolve workplace problems. They also reported ongoing pressure to force workers to work overtime.
“The WCC only follows what the employer says and ignores everything else. We are forced to work overtime from 6:00 p.m. until late at night, sometimes until 10:00 p.m. If we refuse to work overtime until midnight, they force us to sign warning letters, downgrade our grades, reduce grade-based pay, and discriminate against us,” workers said.
Workers also said they are hired indefinitely as daily wage workers without age or term limits, and are paid less than the legally designated wage.
“There are a lot of daily wage workers. Some have been working as daily workers for up to eight months, but they are never made permanent. Daily workers are paid only 7,800 kyats per day, with an overtime rate of 1,600 kyats. Monthly-paid workers receive 11,000 kyats,” workers said.
Workers added that throughout 2023, there were numerous labor rights violations at the Hengrun Myanmar garment factory. Although labor offices conducted inspections multiple times, workers said there have been no meaningful changes.
Hengrun Myanmar garment factory is located on Mya Yadanar Road, Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon. Workers said the factory is owned by Chinese citizen. Around 500 workers are currently employed, and the factory manufacture CMP garments.
