By Min Ni Kyaw - May 29, 2025

Workers at Myanmar Belle International Co., Ltd garment factory report that their health is deteriorating due to continuous overtime without proper rest. Workers have been required to work until 11:30 PM since the end of the Thingyan holidays, including extended "off-line" and "non-standard" overtime, according to the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM).

“We sometimes work from early in the morning on days like Saturdays. The overtime is not announced in advance. We have to manage our return home by ourselves even after finishing late at 11:30 PM. Sometimes we just sleep at the factory and head home at dawn, then rush back to work in time. Over time, this has become unbearable for many of us. Our transportation, health, and overall wellbeing are suffering,” one worker explained.

Workers also say that the factory forces them to work overtime without asking for consent. They are expected to work regardless of whether they are willing or not.

“They call for overtime and serve dinner however they like. Sometimes we get only plain rice. Sometimes just one piece of bread. We don’t get proper nutrition, and we can’t cook anything in the morning before work. We eat whatever is available, sleep wherever we can, and it’s starting to affect our health,” workers said.

Despite the health consequences, workers report that the factory does not grant them legally mandated leave.

Myanmar Belle International Co., Ltd is a Chinese national-owned garment factory located on Mya Tharaphi Road, Myo Sein Yaung Industrial Zone, Yangon. It employs over 500 workers and manufactures garments for the European brand Sinsay.