By Hsu Latt Phyu - Aug 13, 2025
Wan Xin Myanmar Company Limited garment factory is committing multiple violations of labor rights, including the unlawful dismissal of pregnant workers instead of granting them maternity leave and access to social security benefits.
The factory, located on Anawrahta Road, Industrial Zone 5, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon, is manufacturing garments for brands such as Sinsay, Beverly Hills Polo Club, and Nautica.
The Chinese citizen-owned factory has been accused of labor rights violations by its workers, who have sought help from the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM), asking for a resolution through dialogue with the employer.
Reported violations include the employment of a large number of daily workers, who are paid only 6,800 kyats as a daily wage and 1,700 kyats per hour for overtime. Children aged 14 to 16 are also being employed without requiring a medical certificate confirming good health and are made to work the same as adult workers, which workers say is a serious rights violation.
In terms of benefits, workers said they are denied access to annual leave and social security medical leave. They are subject to a deduction of both the daily wage and the attendance bonus if they miss a single day due to illness or other urgent needs, —amounting to a total loss of 50,000 kyats.
"None of the rights that all workers should be entitled to—like leave or access to social security—are being honored. They deduct both our wage and bonus even if we're sick or something urgent happens. This puts a huge burden on us. On top of that, pregnant workers who should be entitled to maternity leave under social security are just dismissed," one worker said.
Workers also reported unsafe working conditions, including a lack of medication in case of injury, unclean drinking water and toilets, no fire prevention measures, and the risk of dog attacks.
"In terms of production targets, we are expected to sew 30 garments per hour for a line of 39 workers including supervisors and assistants. We get scolded for not meeting that target. Honestly, they shouldn’t be yelling at us like that. They just keep raising the targets beyond what we can handle," said a worker.
Additionally, workers said that they are only paid 9,000 kyats of the designated 10,000 kyats daily wage and are subject to deductions if they miss work.
"We do everything they ask when we work, but we never receive what we’ve actually earned when it's time for payday. Some of us cry over it. The deductions are so heavy that workers are quitting right after receiving their pay," said another worker.
Due to these workplace conditions, workers said they face job insecurity, lack of social security benefits, and unlawful wage deductions. They are calling for urgent resolutions to these issues.
Their demands include:
- Employers must allow workers to access their entitled leave benefits.
- Supervisors, assistant supervisors, and line leaders must stop verbally abusing at workers when production targets are unmet.
- Employers must only set garment quotas that workers can realistically meet.
- Employers must pay daily wages accurately and calculate salaries fairly.
- The employer must ensure that dining areas are clean and free of stray dogs.
- Employers must not dismiss pregnant workers from their jobs.
- Employers must not force young workers aged 14, 15, and 16 to perform the same tasks as adult workers.
