It is reported that workers had to stay overnight at the Cascio (Garment) Co., Ltd. factory, located on Seikkantha Road, Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone (3), due to the company’s failure to pay wages. Workers said that wages have been paid late on fixed dates for the past three months.
“Most of the workers stayed overnight at the factory last night instead of going home, waiting for our salaries. We have to pay hostel fees and food debts in full by the 5th day of every month, so that’s why we’re waiting,” a female worker said.
Workers also said that while they were staying overnight, police officers and some soldiers arrived and urged them to return home, saying that wages would be paid. Workers added that the factory vaguely stated that wages would be paid on January 8.
“The soldiers and police told us to go home, saying we would get paid. The factory responded vaguely even when workers asked the factory to at least pay around 100,000 kyats on the 8th, saying they needed to receive money from abroad,” a worker said.
According to workers, the factory employs nearly 400 workers, and more than 180 of them have been unable to return home and are staying overnight at the factory while waiting to receive their wages.
“We only received our wages on the 11th in previous months. We can’t even hold our heads up because of the gossip in our neighborhoods. It’s humiliating to be ashamed of our own wages. We just want to receive our pay on time. Everyone is facing hardships,” female workers said.
Under Myanmar’s 2016 Payment of Wages Law, factories employing 100 or more workers are required to pay wages within 10 days. However, most factories typically pay wages by the 5th day of the month.
According to the Payment of Wages Law, employers who violate the prescribed wage payment period can be fined a minimum of 500,000 kyats up to 1 million kyats, and repeat violations may result in increased fines or imprisonment of up to six months.
