By Myo Thein - Jul 02, 2025
Workers from BCC Jewelry MFG Company said they are working over 160 to 180 hours of overtime per month and only getting around 6 hours of sleep each day.
They said factory working hours run from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM, with only a one-hour break for lunch during the day.
“Last month, we did 170 hours of overtime. That’s considered low. Some even did over 180 hours. After lunch, they gave dinner at 4:30 PM, and then we worked until 11:00 PM,” workers said. They added that while the factory does provide dinner during overtime hours, it’s not sufficient to meet their needs.
BCC Jewelry MFG Company is a factory that produces fancy jewelry accessories and employs around 300 workers.
Workers said overtime hours typically run from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM “There are no breaks during overtime. It’s a straight six hours from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. We’ve been working like this since May. We don’t get Sundays off either. This week makes it three straight weeks without a break. The factory says it will keep going like this in the coming months,” workers reported.
The factory provides dormitories for workers, but the workers themselves bear the cost of cleaning and maintenance.
Workers who don’t live in the dorms said they work overtime until 9:00 PM and they are experiencing physical and mental health issues due to the excessive overtimes.
“The main issue is we have too much overtime and no rest. They don’t allow us to rest even if we ask for time off due to feeling unwell. Just last Sunday, a female worker said she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest, but they refused. We have to focus our eyes all the time since we’re making fancy items. Now some of us are struggling with vision. One of my friends has stomach issues now. Many of us are really suffering health-wise,” they said.
The factory’s starting salary is 230,000 kyats, and wages increase based on seniority, but workers said that their take-home pay includes attendance bonuses, overtime pay, and performance-based bonuses.
“Rhey cut our KPI (Key Performance Indicator) scores if we don’t work overtime on Sundays. It’s tied to our bonus, so we don’t get what we should. If we skip Sunday, they make us make it up on Saturday. There’s a clinic inside the factory, but they only offer one kind of medicine—just either plasters for headaches or paracetamol,” workers said.
BCC Jewelry MFG Company is a CMP (Cut-Make-Pack) factory, backed by USD 3 million in investment. It is 75 percent foreign-owned and began operations in 2022. The factory is located on Pyisithar Minthar Gyi Road, East Dagon Industrial Zone, East Dagon Township, Yangon.
