Protestors from a plywood factory in the Sagaing Industrial Zone who are marching from Sagaing Division to Naypyidaw arrived…40 miles north of the capital.

Workers from Myanmar Veneer Plywood Private Ltd. (MVPPL), which is owned by an Indian national, have said they were subjected to 12-hour workdays without overtime pay, one of a handful of grievances that prompted the march. Last October, they began protesting to demand labor rights including overtime pay, annual salary increases, higher wages for skilled laborers, bonuses and expenses for their living and transportation costs.

After negotiations with workers and labor officials, the company agreed to accommodate the demands in February but did not deliver, leading to a sit-in protest in which more than 100 participants were fired.

The dismissed workers continued the sit-in at the worksite for more than two months, after which they decided to march to Naypyidaw when another round of talks failed in late April…