Workers at the Chan Ray Adidas shoe factory near Thamakon in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon Region, who are protesting for a daily wage increase of 12,000 kyats, report that factory management has threatened them with dismissal. Approximately 6,000 workers began peaceful protests on May 14th demanding wage increases, and continued their demonstration for a second day on May 15th. The workers are seeking better compensation through peaceful protest actions at the facility.
While four worker representatives met with factory management to negotiate the demands, no positive outcome has been achieved. The factory management stated they would continue negotiations until June 1st, but explicitly rejected the workers’ demand for a 12,000 kyat daily wage increase. The situation has created tension between the workers and management as negotiations have failed to produce any meaningful resolution to address the workers’ concerns.
Furthermore, factory management has threatened to mark protesting workers as having unauthorized absences if they do not return to work, which could lead to termination. They have also threatened legal action against the four worker representatives who participated in negotiations. Management warned that workers would be automatically dismissed if they accumulate three consecutive days of unauthorized absences. These threats have heightened concerns among the protesting workers about potential retaliation for their involvement in the wage increase campaign.
The factory is Chinese-owned and primarily manufactures Adidas brand footwear. It has been in operation since around 2014 and currently employs over 6,000 workers. The ongoing dispute over wage increases remains unresolved, with no agreement reached between factory management and the workers. The standoff continues as workers persist in their demands for better compensation while facing pressure and threats from management regarding their protest activities.
