Myo Thein
Mar 02, 2026

Workers at the Tough Way Garment Mfg Co., Ltd–owned garment factory say they are required to work more than 12 hours per day and are given only a 30-minute lunch break. The daily working hours run from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with 3 and a half hours of overtime each day, according to workers.

“They normally make us work 12 hours a day combined with regular hours and overtime. On Saturdays, we have to continue working until 6 p.m. if the target is not finished by 5 p.m. On Sundays, we are forced to work every other week. We are working even today, which is a public holiday,” workers said.

Around 400 workers are employed at the factory, and about 30 to 40 workers live in the factory dormitory. Dormitory workers reportedly have to work until 8:30 p.m.

“Workers living in the factory have to continue until 8:30 p.m. f the regular shift ends at 7:30 p.m. We work 12 hours, but they have to work 13 hours. We are not allowed to leave on Saturdays and must continue working past 6 p.m. if the production target is not met even if the shift is supposed to end at 5 p.m. We are not paid for the extra time worked,” workers said.

In addition, workers said that although they are required to work overtime on Sundays, which are rest days, they are not paid wages in accordance with the law. They also stated that line supervisors are pressuring them to meet production targets and forcing them to work in ways that violate labor regulations.

The Tough Way Garment Mfg Co., Ltd factory is located on Kanaung Minthargyi Road, Shwepyitha Industrial Zone 1, Shwepyitha Township, Yangon. The factory is currently manufacturing the SOIE brand.