By Min Ni Kyaw - May 19, 2025
Workers at SKY Fashion (Myanmar) Co. Ltd reported to the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) that they are being forced to enter the workplace and start work as early as 7:30 a.m although the factory’s official working hours begin at 8:00 a.m.
“The employer pressures us to start work half an hour early. It’s stealing workers’ labour. Workers are denied meal replacements even if the ferry bus arrives just after 7:30. Supervisors use microphones in the production area to order us to start working immediately,” the workers said.
Workers also reported being dismissed for refusing to work on Sundays in place of regular workdays that were lost due to power outages.
“They pressured workers to come back to work. But since it was the employer’s decision to release workers early due to a power outage, we said we couldn’t work on Sunday in exchange. Six workers were unlawfully dismissed for refusing this. The sewing line managers and supervisors threatened us, saying if we want to work here, we must follow our rules—if not, we can leave. They warned us not to speak out,” a worker said.
In terms of health and sanitation, workers said toilet access is limited. Only two toilet cards are issued for a production line of 60 workers, and permission is required via a card to go to the restroom. This lack of access is reportedly causing health issues among workers.
“The toilet monitor yells and refuses entry if a worker desperately needs to go to the toilet but doesn’t have a card. Then they are sent back. This causes urinary retention and bladder infections,” they said.
More than 30 daily wage workers are employed in the factory, but they have not been offered permanent contracts and are thus missing out on legal benefits despite working for more than three months, workers said. They also said that they are required to assist with ironing and packing tasks if they do not meet one-sided production targets.
Workers who refuse to work overtime are being discriminated against, leading many to work beyond regular hours without genuine consent.
SKY Fashion (Myanmar) Co. Ltd is a Chinese national-owned garment factory located on Mya Sabel 1 Road, the Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone, Yangon. Over 800 workers are employed there, manufacturing the ALVAOR MORENO brand.
