By Min Ni Kyaw - Jul 10, 2024

A laborer working in Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone told Myanmar Labour News that job offers from garment factories in Ruili, China arrived to the workplace.

They are being recruited through Chinese employees in the workplace, and flyers are being distributed in places where there are many workers, they said.

"This morning, I saw advertisements for garment workers being distributed at the top of the road. The letter says garment factory from Ruili, China. The Chinese nationals from the factory also gave such advertisements." said a Hlaing Thar Yar based female worker.

There are many workers who went to work in garment factories in China. Ma Mar Mar Aye (pseudonym), who works to help workers, said that many people go to work because of the difficulties, security concerns and expenses in Myanmar and good salary and benefits in China. 

" They said that food and dormitory expenses will be covered. I think people will go more later as the salary is better than Myanmar," she said.

She added that due to the current political situation, most of the workers want to leave the country, and some do not go because of the travel expenses. Labor aid members also said that a Burmese worker working in China-based factories receives a minimum salary of around 800,000 Kyats to 1000,000 Kyats.

"Workers in Myanmar earn only 500,000 kyats after working mid-night and all-night overtime. Dormitory fee and food expenses are also high. The rights there is so much better than here. That's why I want to say that there will be more people leaving," said a male member of the Workers' Support Association.

Currently, labor recruiters are asking for travel expenses of around 1,000,000 kyats to go China, so it is suggested to the workers to connect with official labor agencies and direct recruitment from factories. 

"Actually, the travel expenses is less than 300,000 kyats. They are asking around 1,000,000 kyats for this. There are too many brokers. Some workers don’t get job or still not get after arriving there. We would like to encourage the workers to go only after preparing everything," the aid team member continued.

Myanmar Labor News quoted the statement of the licensed agency in June that Myanmar workers have started to be sent officially to garment factories in Dehong, Yunnan. 

In June, some workers are initially sent to the garment industry, and the agency said that there are inconveniences for workers who are not skilled in the industry.