By Myo Thein - Jun 25, 2025

Workers at SDI Manufacturing say that the factory has not repaired recurring electrical hazards caused by a leaking roof, even though the problem persists regularly. These incidents have been happening for a long time, and workers told the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) that the situation worsens during the rainy season.

“It’s the rainy season now, and the factory hasn’t fixed the leaky roof. The electric shocks are becoming more frequent than before. Despite the danger, the employer and responsible officials haven’t done anything to fix it,” they said.

Workers also said the factory does not grant legally entitled leave days and their leave requests are counted as unpaid, and wages are deducted. They are pressured to meet production targets, scolded and verbally abused by supervisors, and over 30 young workers are made to work as daily wage workers without being confirmed even after three months of service. They said that they are forced overtime until 8 p.m. and other violations of labour law continue to occur

“Labour office officials came to inspect labour rights violations at the factory. As soon as they arrived, the first thing they said was, ‘We saw the factory’s violation reports online, so we came to inspect. But the information online is not true, it’s just rumors,’ according to them. That was before they had even investigated anything. No one dares to speak about the real conditions after they say the factory news isn’t true. We could be fired even if we report the real violations. So, they just listened and left,” they said.

More than 1,000 workers are employed at SDI Manufacturing Co; Ltd, and they manufacture Fourth Dimension brand trousers. Issues such as a leaky roof, poor restroom facilities, and lack of confirmation for young workers have existed since before 2023, according to reports by Myanmar Labour News. In March 2025, the factory’s HR manager threatened and pressured workers by saying they would be reported to armed groups.