By Hsu Latt Phyu - Aug 19, 2025
Workers from Golden Tri-Light Myanmar Co., Ltd, a garment factory located on Ngwe Pin Lae 4 Road in the Ngwe Pin Lae Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon Region, are demanding resolution to ongoing workplace rights violations, according to reports submitted to the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM). The factory employs around 800 workers.
The Chinese citizen-owned factory is known to produce bags under the White Mountain brand.
Workers report that they have not been granted legally entitled benefits such as medical leave, casual leave, and access to social security. As a result, even missing a single day of work leads to deductions that include daily wages, allowances, and a 40,000 kyat regular day penalty—causing significant financial loss.
They also noted that although workers who complete one year of service are entitled to 10 days of annual leave, they are instead required to work those days and are only paid kyat 40,000 in total, which they say is unjust.
“Even that payment isn’t always given properly. But we can’t report it anywhere because we’re afraid we’ll lose our jobs if the employer finds out. The WCC committee, since it’s appointed by the employer, can’t be expected any real action,” said one worker.
Workers further reported that production targets are set unreasonably high. For example, on one line with 35 workers, the target is set at more than 45 bags per hour. Supervisors allegedly resort to verbal abuse when this isn’t met.
“They threaten us with dismissal if we say anything. But our daily wage is only 9,000 kyats, and overtime is 2,000 kyats per hour—not even enough to cover our basic living costs. We’re too afraid to ask for more,” said another worker.
Additional issues include unsanitary toilet conditions that remain unaddressed, mandatory overtime until 9 p.m. daily, and underage workers being employed without proper medical clearance, treated the same as adult workers. Even Sundays are reportedly used for forced overtime without rest.
Workers are calling for urgent intervention and submitted the following demands:
- Employers must stop assigning underage workers (ages 15–16) the same workload as adults.
- Employers must maintain cleanliness in all toilet facilities used by workers.
- Employers must monitor and prevent verbal abuse by the Chinese translator Ye Min Oo.
- Employers must stop imposing unrealistic production targets that workers cannot meet.
- Employers must not pressure workers into working overtime on Sundays against their will.
- Supervisors and line leaders must stop the persistent verbal abuse that occurs when production targets are not met.
- Employers must pay full legal entitlements in cash for the 10 days of annual leave for workers with over one year of service.
- Employers must ensure all workers are allowed to take their legally entitled leave days.
