By Yoon Sat - Mar 31, 2025
Workers from the Sakyar Min Traditional Medicine Factory reported that they are being assigned to unrelated jobs outside the factory, including being sent to work at a water purification business which is a subsidiary under the same management. Workers said they are still required to work across different job sites and departments despite having valid Employment Contracts (ECs) that specify their roles at the traditional medicine factory.
“Our EC contracts are signed with the traditional medicine factory, but we still have to work at the water plant. Workers from the water plant also come to work here,” one worker explained.
An EC (Employment Contract) is a legally binding agreement between the employer and employee under Myanmar’s 2013 Employment and Skill Development Law. It is supposed to include clear terms about job type and responsibilities within 30 days of employment, with 22 standard clauses outlining the nature of the employment.
In addition to being assigned to the “My Water” water plant, workers reported being sent to company-owned land plots in Taikkyi Township to do manual labor, including grass cutting, weeding, and general compound cleaning.
“We’re made to go all the way to Taikkyi to cut grass and clean the land. There’s no proper shelter or break time even when it rains —it’s exhausting,” a worker said.
The workers stated they were not compensated in full according to official overtime pay rates despite working overtime.
Earlier this month, the factory came under fire after reports surfaced that female workers were subjected to menstruation checks. Yangon’s Mingaladon Township Police visited the factory following the incident, but no action was taken. Similarly, the Ministry of Labour has not carried out any investigations, leaving the affected workers feeling neglected.
The Sakyar Min Traditional Medicine Factory and My Water purification facility are located in Yangon Industrial Zone, near Zaykabar Garden Housing. The traditional medicine factory employs over 60 workers, including more than 40 women.
The factory produces herbal products such as Cervical Spondylosis medicine, energy boosters, and muscle pain relief remedies, while the “My Water” water purification plant distributes drinking water in select neighborhoods.
