Myo Thein
Jan 31, 2026
Workers at the garment factory owned by LITA MYANMAR Co., Ltd said that the company is dismissing employees by recording absences as unauthorized even when leave has been properly applied for. Workers said that while dismissal for not applying for leave could be accepted, dismissals carried out in this manner violate the law and are causing harm to workers.
“We don’t receive our entitled leave days or leave benefits. Even when we apply for leave, it’s still marked as unauthorized, and our daily wages are deducted. We contribute to social security every month. When we show our social security medical card, the Social Security Board approves medical leave, but the employer says they haven’t received money from the Social Security Office and deducts 9,200 kyats for the daily wage and 30,000 kyats for the attendance bonus. Now, whether we apply for leave or not, if we don’t come to work for three days, we are dismissed. Dismissing workers even after leave is applied for is harmful,” workers said.
Under Myanmar’s labor law (the 1951 Leave and Holidays Act), all types of leave for workers are paid leave, and wages must not be deducted. In addition, according to the law, medical leave is paid leave, and employers have no right to deduct wages. For workers who contribute to the Social Security Board (SSB), financial benefits for medical leave and maternity leave must be provided by social security.
Workers also said that the wages currently paid by the factory do not match rising commodity prices, causing difficulties for workers.
“We only earn just over 400,000 kyats. Other factories are paying around 12,000 kyats with a daily wage of 9,200 kyats, even if we work the whole month without any absences. They say the current daily wage is higher than the minimum wage of 7,800 kyats, so they won’t increase it. It feels like they will only raise wages if we protest like workers at other factories,” workers said.
Workers also said that members of the Workplace Coordinating Committee (WCC) inside the factory are arbitrarily appointed by the employer, making it impossible to seek help for workplace violations. In addition, they said that the employer uses various methods to prevent workers from speaking truthfully during inspections by the labor office.
“When inspections come, the employer selects people they like and makes them answer that the workplace is good. Those who answer are favored and become privileged. As inspections are not conducted to find out the truth, workers’ rights are being violated,” they said.
The LITA MYANMAR Co., Ltd garment factory is a Chinese citizen-owned factory located on Satsayar U Htun Road, Shwepyitha Industrial Zone (4), Insein Township, Yangon. More than 800 workers are employed sewing garments for the Onward and Burtle brands, according to information received.
