"Workers say Yangon garment factories using virus outbreak to dodge disputes", 2 March 2020

Workers have accused garment factories of using the COVID-19 outbreak as an excuse to temporarily shut down, thus avoiding labour disputes.

They said that about 20 Yangon factories had filed closure notices due to a lack of raw materials from China, where the severe outbreak of the viral disease started.

Ma Khine Zar, a labour representative on the National Committee for Setting the Minimum Wage, called for an investigation of the factories, most of which had labour disputes.

"They can close though the authorities should verify whether they are really affected by coronavirus," she said. She cited the case of the Hwashin Time garment factory and Lucky Sky bag factory in Yangon, which recently shut down due to alleged shortages of raw materials. Both were having labour problems.

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U Myat Thin Aun of the Hlaing Tharyar Economic Zone Committee said the factories were having difficulties because the flow of raw materials from China had been disrupted by the Chinese government's travel restrictions to contain the virus.

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