By Hsu Latt Phyu - Jun 09, 2025
Workers from Ram Yang garment factory are continuing their wage increase demands into a second day, with reports that 50 workers were forcibly summoned and detained by factory supervisors.
According to workers, this happened while they were peacefully rallying for fairer pay on the morning of June 9 in Maha Myine Street, Watayar Industrial Zone, Shwepyithar Township, Yangon Region.
“Protestors were taken away by supervisors under pressure to sign documents. The factory gates were closed, and tensions escalated between those protesting and the management. Around 50 protesting workers were detained by supervisors,” one worker said.
Workers from Rum Yang garment factory in the Wah Tar Yar Industrial Zone, which produces for TEERANOVA and AMISU brands, have been demanding a minimum wage increase of 13,000 kyats since June 6.
Rum Yang garment factory workers are calling for (1) 13,000 kyats daily wages, (2) an increase in overtime rates to 2,500 kyats per hour, and (3) a 60,000 kyats attendance bonus.
As commodity prices and the cost of living continue to rise daily in Myanmar, the current basic salaries received by workers no longer meet their needs, prompting more factory workers to demand wage increases.
In response to such demands, "Most factories do not raise the basic wage rates. Instead, they offer increases under the name of allowances like daily subsidies which are not guaranteed," according to STUM.
In some factories, discussions are held only with negotiation teams involving ministry officials, without allowing representatives from trade union federations to participate when negotiating between employers and workers, Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar - STUM stated.
