YANGON----Since the beginning of 2021, 35 factories already have been closed in Shwelinban Industrial Zone only in Yangon Region, according to the report of Shwelinban Industrial Zone Committee on September 27th.
In doing so, nearly 20,000 workers have lost their jobs.
“About 30 factories and workshops have been closed temporarily and five factories permanently have been closed. The owners of 35 factories closed only after paying salaries and wages to their workers. So, the closure of 35 factories left at least 20,000 workers jobless,” said an unidentified officer from Shwelinban Industrial Zone Committee.
There have been 35 factories in Shwe Linban Industrial Zone which closed temporarily or permanently.
He added that a least 10 garment factories were among the 35 closures. Thousands of workers became unemployed after the factory and business closures.
Similarly, there have been closures of 38 factories in Hlaingthayar Industrial Zone and Shwe Than Lwin Industrial Zone in Hlaingthayar Township. In doing so, factories closure left nearly 10,000 workers jobless, according to relevant Industrial Committees reported on September 23rd.
The closure of 29 factories in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone alone left about 7,000 workers unemployed, said a zone official.
Similarly, nearly 3,000 workers lost their jobs after nine factories closed down in Shwe Than Lwin Industrial Zone while around 10,000 workers became unemployed after the closure of 35 factories and businesses in Shwe Linban Industrial Zone, according to the respective zone committees.
On September 21, Myanmar Unique Garment Factory in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone closed temporarily after operating for five years due to a lack of orders. The factory is owned by a Myanmar citizen.
“The factory operation has been suspended. It is partly due to the Covid-19 crisis. We received few orders since 2020. The political issue is also one of the reasons. We stopped operation because we received no orders. But, it is only a temporary closure,” a factory official said.
In Myanmar, there have been increasing closures of factories and businesses which harmed the wellbeing of workers.
