By Hsu Latt Phyu - Aug 14, 2025
Underage workers are being employed without proper medical clearance and are facing verbal abuse from supervisors at the Chinese-owned Shun Yu Myanmar Garment Co., Ltd, according to workers at the factory.
The factory, located on Kanaung Minthagyi Road, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon employs around 200 workers and manufacture garments for the Kaepa brand. Workers say there is no WCC in place, nor any trade union representation.
Rights violations include employing child laborers without doctor certification, forcing them to work the same duties as adults, verbal abuse from supervisors, hiring daily workers and keeping them in that status even after over a year, not providing copies of EC contracts to workers, hiring without proper documentation, and unlawfully terminating workers without notice or justification. Only one ferry van is provided for all 200 workers, and employees are reportedly denied access to medical or leave benefits. Workers have sought assistance from the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM).
“We don’t get casual or medical leave. They deduct more than 45,000 kyats, including daily wage, attendance bonus, and support allowance if we miss just one day due to illness. Even though we pay monthly social security, we don’t get cards even after six months, and we can’t go to the clinic. If we get injured at work, they don’t even provide medicine—not even oral rehydration salts,” one worker said.
The factory requires workers to start at 7:30 AM and work continuously after lunch until 7:00 PM without proper breaks. Sometimes, shifts are extended to 8 or 9 PM with just a 15-minute break and no proper meal, workers said. Supervisors are said to demand over 60 garments per hour from a line of 35 workers (including team leaders), and if targets aren’t met, shouting and verbal abuse follow.
“They use the same water workers drink to wash their feet. We don’t want that. They deduct one hour of overtime (2,500 kyats) if we take a gate pass for an emergency. Even if we work five hours overtime, they deduct all of it. Supervisors hold workers by the collar and shout. No explanation is given when someone is terminated. Chinese managers are always on the floor watching and shouting. They yell at us if we ask for a gate pass because our parent or child is sick at home,” a worker explained.
“They deduct 2,500 kyats per hour if we take a gate pass for something urgent. The Chinese supervisors follow workers closely around the sewing lines, monitoring them with CCTV like inmates. They threaten to beat us when we complain. There are no labor rights here. They force us to sign warning letters and threaten to fire us without any clear reason,” the worker added.
Workers also reported that the factory prepares them in advance when inspections occur and forbids them from speaking out, threatening dismissal if they do. They demand urgent action to resolve these labor rights violations.
Workers’ Demands:
- Employers must ensure Chinese supervisors stop making unreasonable quota demands, verbal abuse, and shouting.
- Employers must stop forcing workers into overtime on Sundays and public holidays.
- Employers must not allow Chinese staff to wash their feet in workers' drinking water.
- Employers must provide casual leave and medical leave to workers.
- Employers must not assign overtime on official rest days such as Sundays.
- Employers must not unlawfully terminate workers.
- Employers must provide each worker a personal copy of their EC contract.
- Employers must not force workers to sign warning letters without valid reasons.
