Workers at the Chan Ray Adidas shoe factory near Thamakon in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon Region, are continuing their protests for the third day demanding a wage increase of 12,000 kyats per day. The protesting workers report that management has threatened to call in military and police forces in response to their demonstrations. The protests began on May 14th, with approximately 6,000 workers participating in the wage increase campaign.
Worker representatives have demanded that daily wages not fall below 8,000 kyats, stating they will continue protests if compensation drops below this threshold. The employer has been rejecting workers’ demands with various justifications and has not provided a definitive response to their requests. Due to the protests, factory operations have been suspended from morning to evening. Management has threatened to mark continued protests as unauthorized absences and terminate employment for workers who participate in demonstrations for a third day.
The Chinese-owned factory, which has been operating since around 2014, primarily manufactures world-renowned Adidas brand footwear. While negotiations between workers and management are ongoing, no agreement has been reached yet. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by factory workers in Myanmar as they advocate for better working conditions and fair wages. The factory management’s reported threat to involve security forces has added tension to the situation, though workers remain committed to their cause of securing improved compensation.
