By Myo Thein - Oct 30, 2025
Workers have reported to the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) that Asia Just Co. Ltd garment factory is forcing excessive overtime through pressure and coercion.
“They still call for overtime even on public holidays and major festival days. We don’t want to do it, but we are forced to sign and work against their will,” workers told FGWM.
Workers who stay in company-provided hostels said they have been consistently forced to work overtime. Now, even non-hostel workers are being compelled to do the same, according to worker testimonies given to FGWM.
“We have no choice but to do overtime we live in the accommodation provided by the factory. If we don’t show up, they come and search for us in our rooms,” a worker said.
Workers expressed concern that, during a time of political instability and conscription drives, the pressure to perform excessive overtime is becoming even more worrying. They also stated that, , no effective action has been taken despite submitting a complaint to the Shwepyithar Township Labour Office.
“We’re really worried about being forced to do overtime while conscription is happening. That’s why we reported it to the Shwepyithar labour office. Officials came to the factory but left without doing anything,” said one worker.
Workers further revealed that supervisors and line leaders had allegedly paid bribes to secure their positions, and were now using their power to monitor and pressure workers inside the production lines.
“They demand production targets and stare us down on the lines. Supervisors watch us closely to ensure targets are met. They deliberately make them feel miserable if they don’t like a worker. They pressure workers so much that they quit on their own,” said one worker.
Asia Just Co. Ltd has a history of cutting wages, abuse of power by managers, disciplinary actions against workers, and physical mistreatment. Workers have previously submitted collective complaints regarding these issues.
The AJ Factory, which has been producing garments for European brands, has been operating in Myanmar for over 20 years. The factory is located in Twin Thin Thike Wun U Tun Nyo Road, Shwepyithar Industrial Zone 3, Yangon, on , and employs around 1,800 workers, according to sources.
