By Hsu Latt Phyu - Sep 26, 2025
Workers at Myanmar Fenghua Clothing Co., Ltd a Chinese citizen owned garment factory located near the Fire Station Roundabout, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon report that they are being forced to work excessive overtime hours, with threats of termination if they refuse.
The factory, which employs over 900 workers and manufacture brands such as Plus, Casse, and Chip Clip, reportedly runs from 8 AM to 7:30 PM as standard hours, with additional overtime often extending until 11 PM. According to workers, they are told, “Don’t come in starting tomorrow if you won’t do overtime,” leaving them no choice but to comply, despite growing health concerns and lack of sufficient rest.
“A Chinese woman supervisor said we must work night overtime shifts, and if not, don’t come the next day. Even pregnant women in the finishing department are forced to do physically demanding tasks like lifting heavy items. Because of the constant overtime until 11 PM and denied rest days, many workers are falling ill,” one worker shared.
Workers also revealed that taking even a single day off results in deductions from multiple allowances 8,500 MMK for daily wage and support bonuses, 30,000 MMK in attendance bonus, and loss of skill-based bonuses.
They further allege that unachievable production targets are being set, such as sewing up to 50 trousers per hour per worker on lines with over 40 people, even though they can’t physically keep up.
“We sometimes end up sleeping inside the factory when we work late. Then we have to wake up early, go home, and return on time to continue work again with no proper rest in between. There’s no one to listen to the hardship we are facing,” said a worker.
Workers have sought assistance from the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) in response to these ongoing workplace violations including forced overtime, excessive deductions, and health and safety risks.
Workers’ key demands include:
- Granting workers their legal entitlements, such as paid casual leave and sick leave.
- Ending forced overtime and ceasing threats of dismissal for those who refuse.
- Stopping the imposition of unreasonable production targets that workers cannot meet.
- Allowing the election of worker representatives within the factory.
- Preventing direct supervision and control of workers in the finishing department by the Chinese female supervisor.
