"Overtime exploitation without paying", 13 September 2023

According to the labourers from Lian Cheng(Myanmar) Garment Factory, there are no days off, and the workers are called to work until 8:30 p.m., and they work for free without receiving any [overtime pay]. The factory [is] located in Industrial Zone 2, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon Division.

The labourers said that [they were not asked for] consent [to work] overtime, and [were] not allowed to participate in public holidays.

“...It has been 1 year [that we have been] forced to work overtime [and they] say...that we can’t refuse. They also forced us to work on...Sunday. We have to work overtime until 20:00 Pm without getting paid. They don’t even allow a full 30 minutes to eat...” said a labour...

"We don't have legal rights. Pregnant women workers are fired. [The staff are] using [explicit language]...[They fire] labourers [who do] not meet...their demands. There are no senior workers who worked [for] years in the factory, there are only three or four months of services labours, they quit because no one could handle it,” another labour added.

The labour[er] also said that the relevant departments do not investigate and taken action against such violations.

It is reported that the factory is owned by a Chinese citizen and is sewing the ZARA brand with around a thousand labours.