By Myo Thein - Nov 10, 2025
#Letter
Mingalabar.
We are Myanmar workers working at the Everlao Garment Factory in Laos.
We had to work on Tazaungmone Full Moon Day (Tuesday).
We had to work from 8 AM until 7 PM.
In the evening, they told us that since we would be released at 5 PM the next day (Wednesday, the day after the full moon), we would have to work until 10 PM on the full moon day. They also said there would be no overtime pay.
They said we had to work because they were releasing us early at 5 PM.
We told them that we could not work without OT pay. Then the Chinese management called the supervisors into a meeting and forced them to pressure us.
They gave us a 30‑minute snack break at 5 PM. None of us went to eat.
During that time, a Chinese woman from the factory told us through the interpreter that since we should go for the snack break we had to work until 10 PM.
Because none of us took the break, she said the shuttle buses would only come at 10 PM and would only take us home at 10 PM.
All of us Myanmar workers spoke up and said clearly that we could not work until 10 PM right in front of the factory managers and the Chinese women.
The Chinese staff said they couldn't let us refuse and insisted we had to work. They said the orders were very important.
We replied, “If it’s really important, call it OT and we will work.”
Then they said, “Tomorrow you will work until 5 PM, so we changed the day.”
The next day, the 1st waxing of the moon (Wednesday), is a public holiday in Laos.
Laotian workers were given OT pay to work from 8 AM to 5 PM.
But for us Myanmar workers, although it was a holiday, we had to work without OT pay.
On the full moon day (Tuesday), the Lao workers also got OT pay for working until 10 PM, but we Myanmar workers were told it was “in exchange for another day,” so we had to work without OT pay.
We refused and stopped working at 7 PM, cleaned up, and left.
When we came out, the security guards, shuttle drivers, and HR staff were all standing there watching us.
They didn’t open the gate for us.
We Myanmar workers had to climb over the gate to get outside the factory.
The factory also did not allow the shuttle drivers to take us.
We Myanmar women had to walk back at night in the dark.
We are legally registered workers working in Laos.
But we are being oppressed.
Even though they say we are legal workers, we are not allowed to keep our documents and our work contract and original passport.
The factory keeps all of them.
