More than 600 workers, sacked from Power Fashion 1 Garment Factory in Insein Township, Yangon Region, have sent a complaint to the Labour Affairs Department demanding their compensation. 

The garment factory is due to close down on August 31 due to the lack of raw materials during the Covid-19 crisis. 

Aung Myo Thet from the factory workers’ union said there was also a rumour that the factory closure comes after the establishment of that union. 

“We workers can think that the factory is going to shut because we established the workers’ union. Such a rumour is spreading outside. They (factory officials) said the closure was due to the lack of raw materials. There used to be frequent complaints as they violated the law,” Aung Myo Thet said. 

According to the workers, over 600 workers at the factory were compensated based on their basic salary (Ks4,800 per day). 

Aung Aung, organizer from Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar, said it was unlawful to do such things as paying compensation based on the basic salary rate, not on the latest salary rate, and forcing workers to give their signatures.