Abuses and Management Failures (or) Workplace Violations During 2025 September

In September, labour monitoring by the Myanmar Labour Society revealed a range of violations in factories across Myanmar, particularly concerning:

1. Abusive and harassing behaviour that undermines human rights and dignity
2. Unsafe and poor working conditions
3. Wage-related violations and infringements of worker rights

These findings are based on news reports published by Myanmar Labour News and shared across social media, which were collected and verified by the Myanmar Labour Society in cooperation with labour unions, rights defenders, and workers themselves.

A total of 30 reports of legal and rights violations were documented during September, involving 27 factories. Among these, 3 factories appeared in multiple reports.

The cases involved garment, wool, cap manufacturing, and electronics factories, with the majority of violations occurring in CMP (Cut-Make-Pack) garment factories, which are key contributors to Myanmar’s GDP. A total of 29 reports involved CMP factories alone.

According to Myanmar Labour News, these reports were submitted either by trade unions, worker advocacy groups, or directly by workers. The outlet emphasized that unverifiable claims or anonymous allegations that could not be confirmed were not included in their coverage.

Myanmar Labour Society also noted that the actual number of violations may be higher, as many cases go unreported due to fear, lack of access, or insufficient documentation.

In its review, the Society categorized the findings based on Myanmar labour laws, ILO conventions, and international human rights standards. The analysis covered 26 different sectors, and workplace violations were found in 19 sectors during the month of September.

Table 1

Factories and Products Mentioned in Reports – September 2025

Violations are listed from the most frequent to the least frequent.

Table 2

Abuse and Harassment in the Workplace: Widespread Violations Reported in September

During the month of September, Myanmar Labour Society observed serious violations relating to abuse and harassment across multiple garment factories in Myanmar. These included physical and verbal abuse, threats, coercion, forced overtime, discrimination, use of child labour, and personal harassment all of which are in clear violation of human rights and workplace dignity.

The organization recorded 19 cases of threats and coercive pressure, 18 cases of forced overtime, 18 cases of wage deductions, 16 cases of discriminatory treatment, and  13 cases of verbal abuse

These numbers were found within only 27 factories monitored through verified reports, meaning abuse-related incidents occurred in nearly 50% to 70% of all cases, which the Myanmar Labour Society sees as a significant red flag for deteriorating human rights conditions in Myanmar’s garment sector.

Reports highlighted a consistent pattern of threats involving personal safety, job loss, salary cuts for taking leave or using gate passes, department transfers, bonus deductions, and performance grade lowering. Workers were also pressured into attending meetings and forced into late-night overtime under threat of punishment.

Threats and coercion were found in A&C, DONG LONG (Pathein), Dong Yu Garment Co., Ltd, Ever Lead (Myanmar) Lingerie Co., Ltd, Grand Forest International Apparel, Ka Hung Myanmar Co., Ltd, Mengyue Garment, Myanmar Fenghua Clothing Co., Ltd, New Plus, Sunkid Myanmar, Teng Hui Myanmar Knitting, Tia Hong, Tianjin Fashion Milestone, TMA, Victor House Co., Ltd, and Wan Xin Myanmar Company Limited totaling 16 factories, with violations recorded in over 70% of these workplaces.

Forced overtime was reported in DONG LONG (Pathein), Dong Yu Garment Co., Ltd, Ever Lead (Myanmar) Lingerie Co., Ltd, Grand Forest International Apparel, GTIG HUBO, Ka Hung Myanmar Co., Ltd, Mengyue Garment, Myanmar Best Fortune Garments Co., Ltd, Myanmar Fenghua Clothing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Fortress Wealth Garment, Myanmar Jiale Fashion, Myanmar LNY CAPS Co., Ltd, New Plus, Sunkid Myanmar, Teng Hui Myanmar Knitting, Tianjin Fashion Milestone, and TMA totaling 17 factories, all within the garment sector, with violations accounting for 66% of the reported cases in this category.

These findings underline a troubling trend: a significant number of factories in Myanmar’s key garment sector continue to engage in exploitative practices that threaten the safety, dignity, and rights of their workers.

In September, wage deductions particularly related to denial of leave entitlements, unauthorized salary cuts by supervisors for personal gain, and deductions under the pretext of religious festivals were among the most frequently reported violations in Myanmar’s garment factories.

Factories accused of illegally deducting wages include A&C, Chi Mei International Co., Ltd, Dong Yu Garment Co., Ltd, Ever Lead (Myanmar) Lingerie Co., Ltd, Grand Forest International Apparel, Ka Hung Myanmar Co., Ltd, Mengyue Garment, Myanmar Autumn & Champagne Garment, Myanmar Fenghua Clothing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Fortress Wealth Garment, Myanmar LNY CAPS Co., Ltd, SDI Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Sudey, Sunkid Myanmar, Teng Hui Myanmar Knitting, TMA, Victor House Co., Ltd, and Wan Xin Myanmar Company Limited. All 18 of these are CMP (Cut-Make-Pack) garment factories, with such wage violation cases making up around 66 percent of overall reported labour breaches.

Discrimination in the workplace remains one of the most psychologically damaging issues for workers, impacting not only worker morale but also job stability. Many workers continue to suffer loss of opportunity and income due to favoritism in management practices. In September, multiple cases were found in which HR departments engaged in discriminatory practices, particularly by denying legal benefits to daily wage workers and giving preferential treatment to relatives and close associates within the factory. These actions resulted in the unfair distribution of wages, bonuses, and performance ratings.

Further violations involved the employment of child labourers, wage disparities based on age or falsified identities, and attempts to conceal these practices from inspections. Discriminatory practices were identified in factories such as A&C, Chi Mei International Co., Ltd, Dong Yu Garment Co., Ltd, Euro Style Myanmar Fashion Co., Ltd, Ever Lead (Myanmar) Lingerie Co., Ltd, GTIG HUBO, Max Technology, Mengyue Garment, Myanmar Best Fortune Garments Co., Ltd, Myanmar LNY CAPS Co., Ltd, New Plus, SDI Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Sudey, and Tianjin Fashion Milestone.

Child labour and discrimination against daily wage workers were specifically observed in Euro Style Myanmar Fashion Co., Ltd, GTIG HUBO, Ka Hung Myanmar Co., Ltd, Myanmar Fortress Wealth Garment, Myanmar Jiale Fashion, Myanmar Best Fortune Garments Co., Ltd, and TMA. Workers in these factories reported loss of entitlements and systematic discriminatory treatment.

Verbal abuse by line supervisors, assistant supervisors, managers, and HR staff was also widespread across multiple workplaces. In some factories, abuse extended to physical contact, being hit with garments or thrown items, and aggressive shouting and public scolding.

Factories where such verbal and sometimes physical abuse occurred include Tia Hong, Ever Lead (Myanmar) Lingerie Co., Ltd, TMA, Max Technology, New Plus, Tianjin Fashion Milestone, Mengyue Garment, Victor House Co., Ltd, and Grand Forest International Apparel.

Physical violence against workers was confirmed in Tianjin Fashion Milestone and DONG LONG (Pathein) garment factories. In total, 13 factories were found to have committed serious rights violations involving abuse, representing over 48% of all factories monitored. Except for one electronics factory, all others were garment-related factories.

Despite the fact that Myanmar’s labour law clearly outlines entitlements such as paid leave and holiday benefits, enforcement remains weak. Reports show that officials from the Ministry of Labour have failed to act or provide solutions, even in cases where legal leave entitlements were clearly denied.

Factories found to be denying workers’ rights to leave and related benefits include A&C, Chi Mei International Co., Ltd, DONG LONG (Pathein), Dong Yu Garment Co., Ltd, Ka Hung Myanmar Co., Ltd, Myanmar Autumn & Champagne Garment, Myanmar Best Fortune Garments Co., Ltd, Myanmar Fenghua Clothing Co., Ltd, Myanmar Fortress Wealth Garment, New Plus, Teng Hui Myanmar Knitting, Tia Hong, TMA, and Victor House Co., Ltd totaling 14 factories, with rights violations occurring in over 51% of those cases.

In addition, Myanmar Labour Society recorded several types of workplace violations during the month of September. There were 9 cases each of forced production quotas and unsafe working conditions, as well as 9 cases involving violations of WCC law and the workplace code of conduct. Payroll deductions and coercive manipulation during inspections were recorded 6 times each. The organization also documented 5 cases each of illegal dismissals and the use of child labour. Discriminatory treatment against daily wage workers occurred in 4 cases. There were 3 instances each of denial of full rest periods and being assigned unrelated tasks. Workplace accidents without any accountability were reported in 2 cases, while there was 1 recorded case each of violations against pregnant workers and breaches of EC contract terms.

Unsafe Working Conditions and Widespread Rights Violations Continue in Myanmar Factories

Myanmar workers continue to face long working hours, with many required to work overtime late into the night. In some factories, workers are putting in more than 100 overtime hours per month, often with no break even on Sundays. In these cases, production quotas are strictly enforced, and break times including meal breaks are cut short or skipped entirely. Workers also report not being allowed to drink water or use the toilet freely during shifts.

Inadequate access to medical treatment, a shortage of medicines and supplies, and pressure to work even when unwell are frequent concerns. Pregnant workers are often denied accommodations, with many still required to carry out heavy tasks all pointing to serious failures in workplace health protection.

Infrastructure issues also persist. Many factories lack clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, and enough seating or dining space. Poor hygiene conditions, unsafe environments, and even the presence of CCTV cameras in toilets were reported, raising further concerns over privacy and safety.

Many factories reportedly avoid taking responsibility or compensating the affected workers hen injuries or workplace accidents occur. This demonstrates the lack of accountability in unsafe workplace environments.

Wage and Labour Rights Violations

Violations related to pay include unlawful deductions for taking leave or missing a day, as well as deductions from daily wage bonuses, attendance allowances, and performance-based bonuses. In some cases, wages were deducted due to fingerprint issues, and length-of-service entitlements were paid out as cash but in reduced amounts. Workers also reported difficulty in accessing their full wages, wage discrimination, and deductions for forced contributions including donations for religious festivals, weddings, or even under vague pretexts like “gratitude” fees.

Numerous reports describe being forced to work overtime without pay. When workers asked for wage increases, management reportedly refused outright. Some workers were terminated without compensation, and others, especially those employed for less than six months, were denied severance when factories shut down.

Factories were also found withholding EC (Employment Contract) copies from workers. When labour authorities conducted inspections, management allegedly coached workers to lie, covered up violations, and in some cases forced them to destroy evidence or manipulate their responses.

Management failures were also clearly evident. Workers were often denied their legal leave and entitlements. In many cases, even when leave was granted, other entitlements were deducted. Workers who requested time off were subjected to intrusive questioning. WCC (Workplace Coordination Committee) and HR departments reportedly failed to respond quickly or appropriately to complaints, and in some cases, workers who submitted complaints were threatened with termination.

These findings highlight not only serious gaps in workplace management but also point to a wider pattern of violations against Myanmar’s labour laws and international human rights standards. The evidence shows that such violations remain widespread across factories in the country.

Myanmar Labour News Background (MLN)

Myanmar Labour News (MLN) is Myanmar’s first independent digital media platform led by young people, with a special focus on labour-related issues. MLN advocates for freedom of expression, justice in the workplace, and equal access to labour rights for all workers. It aims to make labour-related information easy to access and understand, particularly for grassroots communities, while supporting social and economic development among working people.

About Myanmar Labour Society (MLS)

Myanmar Labour Society (MLS) is committed to gathering and researching labour-related information, publishing monthly and annual reports, and conducting awareness training on labour rights. It also trains freelance journalists to investigate and report on labour rights violations. In addition, MLS works to improve workers’ understanding of education, health, and labour laws by offering vocational training and public education programs.

We invites support to help ensure the continued production of high-quality monthly and annual reports by Myanmar Labour News.

Myanmar Labour Society Research Team