Garment workers demanding wage increases and improved working conditions at a Chinese-owned factory in Yangon are facing intimidation and threats of legal action from management and junta labor officials, according to a local trade union.
The Solidarity of Trade Unions Myanmar (STUM) stated that management at the Spring Moon Garment factory in Hlaing Tharyar Township threatened to sue striking workers who were absent due to illness, falsely accusing them of taking employment at competing facilities.
STUM added that the regional director of the junta-controlled Department of Labour Relations (DLR) echoed the employer's accusations and pressured worker representatives during collective bargaining talks.
"They have no facts or evidence; they just came and accused us like this to threaten us," a protesting worker told Mizzima, denying allegations that any of the 135 striking employees had taken jobs elsewhere.
The union expressed grave concern over worker safety, warning that factory owners are collaborating with local military regime officials to distort the labor dispute rather than engaging in standard negotiation procedures.
The dispute began on July 8 when 177 workers at the facility submitted a nine-point list of demands. Negotiations between labor representatives and management remain deadlocked. Currently, 135 of the factory's more than 200 employees are refraining from entering the facility and continuing their protest.
The striking workers are requesting an increase in the basic daily wage from 10,000 kyats (approx. $3.20 USD) to 13,000 kyats (approx. $4.20 USD), alongside an increase in overtime rates from 2,000 kyats ($0.65 USD) to 2,500 kyats ($0.81 USD) per hour.
They are also seeking higher monthly attendance and skill bonuses, paid emergency leave, and an end to pay deductions for Sunday rest days.
The Spring Moon Garment factory operates under the Cut-Make-Pack (CMP) contract manufacturing system in Hlaing Tharyar, a key industrial hub on the outskirts of Yangon that has seen frequent labor suppression and economic hardship since Myanmar's 2021 military coup.
