Myanmar Garment Workers Appeal
The garment sector has emerged as a growing industry in Myanmar. By 2020 the number of workers in the industry is forecast to reach 1.5million.
The country’s low wages provide a strong incentive for multi-national companies to take advantage and exploit workers.
To lower costs, factories often outsource production to home-based workers.
This is often deemed invisible in the supply chain, putting informal workers in a vulnerable position.
Our partner organisations in Myanmar, Action Labor Rights and Labour Rights Defenders and Promoters, organise with home-based workers in the garment sector.
Your support will ensure we can continue to help organise with workers to be recognised, with rights to join a union and bargain for better working conditions.
Donations of $2 and over to APHEDA’ s Overseas Project Fund Account are tax deductible. All donations made after 1st July 2018 will fall into the 2018/19 financial year.
Thawdar Myint's Story
Thawdar Myint has been a home-based worker for almost one-and-a-half years. During her 11 hour work day she has to sew 200 uniforms for popular supermarkets and bakery chains in Myanmar. Each month she earns 100000 MMK (74 USD). The average monthly living cost in Myanmar is 120 USD.
Thawdar Myint used to work in a garment factory and earned 180-200 USD per month including overtime. Due to health issues she left her job and started taking orders from a ‘middle man’ from the factory. However, working at a home-based shop also posed health issues.
Long working hours to meet her targets has caused workplace accidents. Thawdar Myint says she has been injured many times in operating the sewing machine. Other home-based workers often experience dizziness due to long working hours in cramped conditions.
“Working as a home based worker can be worse than working at a factory, we are often not recognised as workers. We do not get sufficient protection, benefits and skills training even though our working hours can be longer than factory workers.”
– Thawdar Myint