By Min Ni Kyaw - May 23, 2024

Workers from Chinese national owned Li DA garment which located at Oothaphraaa Street, Thar Du Kan Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township told that they are working 6 hours without a break and having health and social issues due to daily overtime.

“They don’t give us a break from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm,” a worker said. And the factory only provide a breed for them when they work overtime until 8:30pm without a break. “They give us a breed and we have to work immediately after that, we can’t take a proper break outside. The workers are so tired,” they said.

The working hours are from 8:00 am to 6:30 including the overtime and they have to work from 12:30 until the end of working hours continuously. The daily overtime without proper meal cause them health problems and some even have to visit the clinics with the gate pass.

“Some workers come from Hlaing Thar Yar. They arrive home at 9:30-10:00 after the factory’s working hour finished at 8:30. They don’t have proper time to eat except the ready made foods. They come with plasters on their head in the next morning,” according to the worker.

Although the factory workers are facing health problems, there are no clinics or nurses in the workplace. There are workers' refusals for the overtimes, but some employees forced them to work. 

“The supervisors force us to sign only with their accord. Workers refuse to work overtime but the supers don’t let them go until they signed,” a worker said.

The workers are working overtime until 6:30 a week and until 8:30 a week since after the Thingyan. The factory assigned them to work until 7:30 for this month. There are around 6 cavities and 250 workers working at the Li Da garment factory.

Myanmar Labour News posted at news about 29 workers of the Li Da garment factory resigned after the super was demoted to line leader position. Workers said the working conditions aren’t improve since then.