More than 200 workers from Ah Nan Garment Factory in Shwelinban Industrial Zone in Hlinethaya Township, Yangon Region, went on strike on August 13 opening a protest camp as their demand for having the HR manager apologize to them or to be fired was not met. 

According to the factory workers, the manager, despite having been at work for over three months, mistakenly paid a basic salary of Ks3,600 each instead of Ks4,800 to over 60 workers. When workers’ leaders went to the HR department for the matter, the manager told them off. 

“Those affected were over 60. As per the law, such a problem must be solved within five days. We were told we would be paid on the 15th. What’s more, the manager used abusive words. So we went to the boss demanding that the manager apologize to us. But the manager didn’t and the boss didn’t do anything with the matter, said Nay Lin, secretary of the factory workers’ union. 

The factory has about 350 workers. The workers however pointed out the lack of enough toilets, proper healthcare in the Covid-19 period, providing only a few face masks and the roof leaking at the food canteen. 

The protest camp remains to be opened as the workers’ demand has not met.