By Ma Ma - Feb 15, 2025
Workers from Eslite Garment Factory, a Chinese national-owned factory in Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, are calling for the protection of their personal information and demanding that it not be shared with anyone without their consent. They have also raised concerns about ongoing labor rights violations that remain unresolved despite the presence of a union and Workplace Coordination Committee (WCC).
The factory, which employs over 2,000 workers, manufactures ALPINESTARS brand clothing. Workers claim that even though both a trade union and WCC exist, they are not assisting workers in resolving labor rights violations. They are also forced to contribute 1,000 MMK per month to a so-called welfare fund without clear accountability.
Workers had a legally binding Employment Contract (EC) before the coup, but the factory has since disregarded the agreed terms and imposed one-sided rules. Previously, sick workers could receive medicine from the factory clinic and rest in the sickbay, but now, even workers suffering from dizziness or stomach pain are denied access and must wait in long lines to receive medicine. They are demoted to a lower skill grade if they instead choose to take sick leave, despite the original agreement stating that legal leave would not affect skill levels.
Workers currently receive a daily wage of 7,000 MMK, an allowance of 6,000 MMK, a monthly attendance bonus of 25,000 MMK, and skill-based pay ranging from 53,000 MMK for A+ workers to 18,000 MMK for B workers. Their work hours are from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with only a 30-minute break, and they are required to work two hours of overtime daily.
“It’s difficult to get permission to leave the factory. We receive a warning from management if we take multiple sick days. We are given a warning if we arrive late, request leave, or take more than four days off as well. The entire factory is under constant CCTV surveillance, and our every movement is monitored. We are scolded and reprimanded for moving our hands or feet slightly. Most workers are women, and we feel unsafe in this environment.
Factory-provided transportation is insufficient, forcing workers to squeeze together uncomfortably. Women must cling to each other due to overcrowding, and the drivers operate recklessly. If an accident occurs, management refuses to take responsibility. The factory only prioritizes its own convenience, and workers’ well-being is ignored.
Workers have also raised concerns about their personal data being shared with authorities. When UMFCCI requested worker lists for military conscription, the factory provided the information. When workers demanded a wage increase in September 2024, management called the military to intimidate them. Eventually, brands negotiated to increase the daily wage from 6,400 MMK to 7,000 MMK. The union leader only resolves minor issues and ignores major problems. During meetings, workers are threatened that the military will be called if they protest.
Workers have sought assistance from the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) to address ongoing labor rights violations. They demand the restoration of factory medical facilities, increased shuttle bus capacity, stricter control over reckless driving, an end to unfair warnings for lateness and leave requests, protection of workers’ personal information, removal of unnecessary CCTV cameras from areas where women work, and an end to military intimidation against workers’ demands.
