By Yoon Sat - Feb 08, 2025
Workers from YUAN HONG GARMENT factory, located on U Tun Nyo Street, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon Region, report that their labor rights are being violated and that they are being forced to work overtime without rest days.
The factory is owned and directly managed by Chinese nationals, employing over 1,000 workers and manufactures trousers such as CLOSSHI and BLACK NUMBER brands.
The factory requires workers to do both day and night overtime and forces them to work every Sunday without a break due to high garment orders. Workers also report that they face retaliation, discrimination, and deductions in their skill bonuses if they refuse to do overtime leading to serious hardships.
"We face retaliation if we complain about the deduction of skill bonuses. The HR manager constantly monitors workers throughout the day, and if workers are caught talking, they are scolded, shouted at, and forced to do difficult tasks as punishment. Those who speak up are dismissed without any legal justification. Chinese nationals directly control the workers in the factory. Meanwhile, the Myanmar managers also verbally abuse workers and treat them like prisoners by keeping a close watch on them," workers said.
In addition, workers report that they are not granted the legally entitled leave days. They are fined and deducted 8,500 kyats (including a penalty fee and allowance) as well as 30,000 kyats from their wages if they take a day off, causing them financial difficulties.
Workers claim there is no medicine available although there is a clinic inside the factory. They also say they are only given electrolyte supplements when four workers request them together.
Workers are required to work from 7:30 AM to 6 PM, and when urgent orders arise, they have to work until 9 PM. Their lunch breaks are divided into two separate shifts, but despite requests to adjust the schedule, factory management has refused to make changes.
Regarding production targets, finishing workers must complete between 50 and 60 garments per hour, while sewing lines consisting of over 35 workers must meet a quota of 45 garments per hour. Workers say these targets are unrealistic and that they are being pushed to the limit.
Supervisors resort to shouting, scolding, and demanding more garments from the workers if production quotas are not met.
Workers also report that daily wage workers are only called in when there is work available, and they are dismissed without any compensation when there is no work, violating their rights.
Due to these severe working conditions, workers have reached out to the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) for assistance in resolving their grievances.
Workers are demanding the following:
- Factory management should only set reasonable production targets that workers can achieve.
- Supervisors should stop shouting and scolding workers over production quotas.
- Daily wage workers should not be hired and fired arbitrarily based on work availability.
- The current WCC (Workplace Coordination Committee), which was established by factory management, should be replaced with one elected by the workers.
- The factory should stop forcing workers to work overtime every Sunday and until 9 PM at night.
