By Thar Gyi - Aug 08, 2025

Yangon Oscar garment factory has been deducting social security fees from workers every month, but workers say they are unable to receive treatment at social security clinics as they do not have social security benefit cards. And they said they cannot get treatment without the card.

“I went to HR to ask for my social security card when I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go to the clinic. They said there wasn’t one, that it was lost, and that they would have to reapply. We pay the social security fees every month, and the factory deducts them. But the recommendation letter they give us from the factory can’t even be used at the social security office,” workers said.

HR has been issuing factory recommendation letters instead of providing workers with their official social security benefit cards, resulting in workers being denied treatment at social security clinics. Workers said only those with less than one year of service have cards, while workers with two years or more at the factory still have not received them.

“Workers with two or three years of service still haven’t received medical leave or any benefits. We don’t even get the card. And the factory hasn’t said anything about it,” workers said.

Yangon Oscar factory’s HR department has also been collecting money from new workers under the claim of job provision fees, as well as forcibly collecting so-called donation money, workers reported.

Yangon Oscar factory produces garments for the P@vv brand and employs over 1,000 workers. It is located on Phanchatwun U Shwe O Street, East Dagon Industrial Zone, East Dagon Township, Yangon. The factory caught fire while workers were inside working overtime on December 18, 2024, around 8 PM.