Myo Thein
Jan 27, 2026
Workers say that the Sunrise Myanmar Fashion garment factory is forcing them to work late-night overtime, citing urgent orders, and also requiring them to work on Sundays without rest days. Normally, work at the factory starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. including overtime, but workers say they have been made to work late-night overtime throughout January 2026.
“They make more than 200 to over 300 workers from both the upper and lower floors stay until 12 midnight every day for overtime. They say they have obtained permission from the relevant offices to keep calling this kind of overtime continuously,” a worker said.
According to announcements by the Factories and General Labour Laws Inspection Department, overtime work is permitted for only up to 20 hours per week. In addition, instructions state that prior approval must be obtained one week in advance in order to carry out overtime work.
“They keep calling overtime continuously until 12 midnight, give no days off, and after finishing overtime we have to go home according to our own arrangements, then come back to work on time in the morning. When this keeps happening continuously, our health is affected. Even though the relevant offices know that overtime is being called arbitrarily like this, they do not take action, so it is only the workers who suffer,” a worker said.
Workers said that since 2025, township-level offices have not conducted inspections or taken action against the factory’s legal violations. Because illegal overtime practices are not being addressed, pressure and oppression against workers at the factory have increased, according to reports.
“We are forced to do overtime. If we don’t, there are various forms of oppression and discrimination. And if we return late to work after having worked overtime, we have to sign warning letters, being told it is the first and final time,” workers said.
Workers also said that although they are required to work without rest days, leave is not granted, and they face demands for production targets as well as monitoring inside the workplace.
“The factory forcibly demands production targets, calls overtime without giving rest days, and doesn’t allow leave. On top of that, CCTV cameras are installed inside the factory. It goes beyond what is necessary for security. Now, as women, we’re even afraid to scratch an itch. That’s how unsafe it feels,” said a female worker.
Workers said that although there is a WCC organization to file complaints over workers’ losses, the absence of members has made things even more difficult for workers.
The Sunrise Myanmar Fashion garment factory operates with nearly 1,000 workers. It manufactures the ZEROSTAGE and WORKWEAR brands, and the factory is located on Kyauksin Road, Thardukan Industrial Zone (4), Shwepyithar Township, Yangon City.
