By Min Ni Kyaw - Jun 02, 2025
Workers have told the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) that SDI Manufacturing Co., Ltd garment factory is granting only unpaid leave, even when workers submit formal leave requests, resulting in loss of rights guaranteed under labor laws.
“Workers are entitled to leave, and it’s mandated by law. But we don’t get to enjoy those rights. The factory either doesn’t grant leave or gives only unpaid ones, even when we apply due to illness. Then they deduct wages for those days from our salary. Missing a single day results in a deduction of over 30,000 kyats including the daily attendance bonus,” workers said.
Myanmar labour laws provide for various types of leave such as casual leave, earned leave, sick leave, and annual leave. But workers say the factory is not honoring these entitlements and is also discriminating in wage distribution, while failing to confirm employment for long-serving daily wage workers.
“They give salary much more to workers who are on good terms with supervisors. They discriminate and divide us even though we all do the same work. Among the daily wage workers, there are over 30 young workers who have been promised permanent positions after three months, but they are still kept as daily wage workers,” they said.
It is reported that the factory pays 7,800 kyats in daily wage, 30,000 kyats for attendance bonus, and grade bonuses ranging from 20,000 to over 50,000 kyats depending on the worker. However, workers said the factory pressures them into excessive overtime and pushes strict production targets.
“A sewing line with over 30 people is required to produce more than 50 pants per hour. We’re sewing pants. The supervisors and assistant supervisors shout and verbally abuse us,” if we don’t meet the target” they said.
Additionally, workers are forced to work overtime until 8 PM, and those who cannot are treated unfairly and discriminated against.
Although a WCC (Workplace Coordination Committee) has been established to handle workplace grievances, workers said the committee members are handpicked by the employer and do not represent workers’ interests.
“There are frequent electric shocks in the workplace. When we ask for repairs, the factory says it’s too expensive to fix. There’s also no medicine in the clinic,” they said.
SDI Manufacturing Co., Ltd is a Chinese national-owned garment factory located in Ngwe Pin Lae Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon. The factory currently employs over 1,000 workers and manufacturing the Fourth Dimension brand pants.
