By Hsu Latt Phyu - Feb 17, 2025
Workers from Sheng Da Ming Apparel Co., Ltd, a garment factory operating in Industrial Zone (2) on U Ta Yote Gyi Road, Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon Region, report experiencing hardships due to being forced to work late into the night without receiving overtime pay.
The factory is owned by a Chinese national and manufactures garments for brands such as RESERVED, POLAND, CALLIOPE, and TERRONOVE.
With around 600 workers employed, the factory does not have a trade union, according to sources.
Regular working hours are from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM, but workers also have to work overnight shifts, according to a worker.
“They call us in for overtime without any prior notice on Saturday. They verbally abuse and threaten us if we refuse. They stopped insulting us after we reported, but they still force us to work overtime until midnight on alternating days. The worst part is that we don’t even get paid for overtime—they just say we have to work extra hours to meet production targets,” a worker from the factory said.
Workers who refuse to work overtime reportedly face threats and pressure.
“Overtime shifts go until midnight, with 10 workers per production line or sometimes more. The factory doesn’t provide dinner or any money for meals. There is a food stall inside the factory owned by the manager’s brother, but without money, we can’t buy anything. Some workers even have to work through the night without eating. They turn off the lights once overtime is over, and workers either sleep between the workbenches or sit and wait until morning. Since we have to return to work on time the next day, we don’t get any proper rest, and many of us fall sick frequently,” said another worker.
Due to these workplace violations, workers have filed a complaint with the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM).
“Workers make mistakes due to exhaustion during overtime, —some even injure their hands with needles. There is no on-site nurse, and no clinic to go to, so we just apply machine oil to wounds and keep working. The nurse only comes for routine check-ups. We endure these conditions because we don’t want to keep changing jobs, but we want these exploitative practices to stop,” another worker explained.
The workers have made the following demands:
- Overtime hours extending until midnight must be properly compensated based on legal overtime rates. Management must seek their consent, provide overtime pay, arrange dinner, and provide transportation if workers are required to work beyond regular overtime.
- Workers who refuse overtime should not face threats or pressure.
- Workers should be granted leave more easily, and a full-time nurse should be assigned to the factory clinic for proper medical care.
- The Myanmar factory manager should be held accountable for these violations.
