Myo Thein
Jan 27, 2026
It is reported that sewing workers are being forcibly transferred to the finishing department, and that some workers have been dismissed because they are unable to do department work at Mei Jie Myanmar Clothing & Accessories Co., Ltd.
“We get fired if we sent to the finishing section and can’t do the work. Even if we don’t want to go when overtime is called, we still go because we’re afraid of being dismissed. There are also workers who quit on their own because the situation is made unbearable and they don’t want it to become a problem,” said a female worker.
Workers also said that in addition to being required to work three hours of regular overtime every day, they are forced to do late-night overnight overtime and early-morning overtime until dawn. Furthermore, because the ferry transport back home does not run on time after work, workers are facing social hardships.
“There are ferry buses, but they are late. Work finishes before dawn, and by the time we get home the sun is already up. It’s hard to sleep, and we face health and social problems. Inside the factory, if production targets aren’t met, we get scolded, and even loud voices make us flinch,” said a female sewing worker.
A worker said that legally entitled emergency leave, medical leave, and other leave benefits are not approved by the employer, and workers are punished up to the point of dismissal.
“Whether it’s absence without leave or even with leave approval, if we miss a day, our daily wage of 12,000 kyats and an attendance bonus of 20,000 kyats for that day are deducted. They say you miss work too often due to medical leave and then fire you. When we’re sick, we’re afraid to take leave. As for the WCCs, instead of resolving these issues, they themselves are just trying not to get fired,” a worker said.
The Mei Jie Myanmar Clothing & Accessories Co., Ltd. factory is a Chinese-owned factory located on U Pho Hlaing Road, Shwelinban Industrial Zone, Hlaingthayar Township, Yangon City. It employs around 2,000 workers and manufactures the Aunely and Coen brands, according to information received.
