By Yoon Sat - May 05, 2025

Workers at the Zong Hong garment factory, located on Mya Khatter Road in Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, say they were promised double overtime pay for working during the Thingyan holidays but were not paid the full amount. They are now demanding resolution.

“The line leaders told us they’ll pay double if we work on holidays/ But in reality, they only paid 15,250 kyats. They didn’t pay the full amount. The line leader deducted the end-rounding and said they had no small change. We asked for the rest later, but they refused to pay. About 200 of us worked overtime and were even assigned to departments other than our own,” said one worker.

The factory had called in over 200 workers for overtime on April 19, 20, and 21, during the Thingyan holiday, with the promise of double wages. However, they were only paid 15,250 kyats for the entire overtime period. Normally, workers receive a daily wage of 7,800 kyats and an overtime rate of 1,950 kyats per hour. The promised double rate was not honored, and end-rounding deductions were also applied.

The workers said they reported the issue to the Workplace Coordination Committee (WCC), but WCC told them to “speak for themselves,” without offering mediation or intervention.

“They didn’t help at all. They didn’t negotiate anything. We came in and worked all day because we needed the money, but they didn’t pay what they promised. If we refuse, the line leaders yell and call us to the top floor to scold us,” one worker said.

Workers also reported that factory vehicles pick them up nearly an hour earlier than their scheduled 8 a.m. shift. They arrive around 7 a.m., eat breakfast, and are then made to start work immediately — with no overtime pay for the extra hour.

“They make us start working at 7:20, right after breakfast. The generator is already running. We get to the factory too early and start working, but they don’t count it as overtime. When we asked the driver why we’re being picked up so early, he said the factory told him to. WCC won’t do anything about that either. During lunch breaks, the line leaders rush us to eat quickly and return to finish unfinished garments. No proper rest. The machines stay on,” another worker said.

Additionally, workers said that the factory deducted 30,000 kyats from their salaries as a mandatory donation to support earthquake victims, even though it was framed as voluntary.

“The factory said the donation was for earthquake relief and should be from the heart. But it wasn’t voluntary. Everyone was made to contribute the full 30,000 kyats. Some tried to donate 20,000, but they were told it wasn’t acceptable. The line leaders forced everyone to contribute, and it was all collected on payday, with names recorded,” one worker added.

Zong Hong is a Chinese national-owned garment factory employing over 1,000 workers. It reportedly produces garments for the brand "Only."