Workers at the Gon Min Myaing Hwa Shein garment factory in Thayarwady Township, Bago Region, have reported that management threatened to have male employees conscripted into military service after they demanded wage increases. The factory, which currently employs over 3,000 workers, pays only 4,800 kyats per day as wages and 20,000 kyats as attendance bonus to its workers.
On May 31, the factory workers demanded an increase in daily wages to 12,000 kyats and attendance bonus to 60,000 kyats. However, the factory management refused to increase the daily wages and only offered to raise the attendance bonus. Furthermore, management threatened that if workers accepted the attendance bonus increase, they would report male employees to the military for forced conscription. According to factory workers, these threats were made explicitly by factory managers in response to their wage demands.
A factory worker reported that their demands for better wages have been effectively nullified, forcing them to continue working at the original wage rates. The threats from factory management have created significant obstacles for workers attempting to advocate for their rights. Despite the current wages being insufficient for workers’ basic living expenses, they face considerable challenges in making further demands due to these intimidation tactics. The situation highlights the difficult position of workers caught between inadequate wages and the threat of military conscription, demonstrating how management is using the current political situation to suppress labor rights demands.
