By Yoon Sat - Jun 10, 2024

Workers from Kingsrich (MYANMAR) Fashion Limited which located at the Yay Pyar Street, no (18) Ward, Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon Region stopped working in the morning of June 10 to collectively demand pay raise and it is report that the employer verbally agreed to pay 7,500 kyats per day.

“The settlement was reached with 7,500 kyats daily wages and 2,000 kyats overtime wages. The current wages are 4,800 kyats per day and 1,400 kyats per hour of overtime. It even takes too long to raise 4,800 kyats to 5,800 kyats. This time workers collectively demanded as they can’t wait anymore. The factory told the supervisors that they accept the workers’ demands in around 4:30 pm. But the contract haven’t signed yet. It will be legit in tomorrow morning,” said a person who is closed to the workers.

The protest started at 8:00 am while the lights were turned off and the works were stopped. They made workers to come out to express their demand individually, but the workers did not demand individually because they were afraid of being fired, they said. The verbal agreement was approved via supervisors in the evening.

Currently, they have a verbal agreement to pay 7,500 kyats per day and 2,000 kyats per hour overtime, and the contract will be signed on June 11th.

It even takes too long to raise 4,800 kyats to 5,800 kyats and the 5,800 kyats per day and overtime payment 1,400 per hour doesn’t cover the workers’ living expenses. Therefore, they collectively demanded for a pay raise since the morning by turning off the lights in the workplace.

The factory have more than 1,000 workers and manufacturing H&M brand fabrics. The factory is owned by a Chinese national.