Wage reduction, wage theft, gender-based violence and harassment, attacks on garment workers’ civil liberties continue to plague the apparel industry in Myanmar since imposition of military rule in February 2021, says a report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (the Resource Centre).
THE STATE OF GARMENT WORKERS’ RIGHTS: Examining the state of garment workers’ rights in Myanmar’s apparel sector and sourcing brands’ approach to human rights due diligence in the country in order to ask: at what cost?, the report — Falling out of fashion: Garment Worker Abuse Under Military Rule In Myanmar — calls for urgent action as it reveals a damning picture of abuse and indignities for workers; meaning, the pressure is on for sourcing brands to further interrogate their supply chains and own practices.
The Resource Centre’s Myanmar Garment Worker Allegations Tracker identified 212 publicly reported cases of alleged labour and human rights abuse affecting at least 108,000 garment workers employed at 124 factories, producing for at least 46 global fashion brands and retailers.
- There has been a significant uptick in allegations, from 56 allegations between February 2021 to February 2022 to 156 allegations in the subsequent 12 months. In other words: things are getting worse for garment workers – and quickly.
- Although Myanmar’s garment industry remains the country’s single strongest sector, exporting clothes, shoes and leather goods to major household-name brands found in wardrobes across the world, the military coup has upended democratic rule in Myanmar and pushed garment workers – most of them women – to the forefront of resistance against the brutal regime.
- Human and worker rights abuse is endemic throughout the country and on the rise.
- Violence against civilians – particularly ethnic minority groups, women, children and pro-democracy activists – is increasing, opposition and dissent are quickly quashed and trade unions have been targeted, reporting their leaders have been forced into hiding and factory conditions for garment workers are increasingly brutal.
- Gender-based violence, wage violations, unpaid and mandatory overtime, inhumane working conditions and other forms of abuse are common.
- Reports suggest wages hover around US$2, the lowest in the region, amid rampant inflation in the country.
The report exhorts that to continue sourcing from Myanmar, brands must demonstrate their adherence to the highest requirements of human rights due diligence. This means brands must ensure that the process is transparent and risk-based.
- As labour rights frameworks in Myanmar are outdated and the rule of law is non-existent, brands should protect workers’ fundamental rights, including the rights to decent wages and collective bargaining, through responsible purchasing practices and international human rights instruments.
THE REPORT: Alongside desk-based research, findings in this report were identified through three key sources:
- The Resource Centre’s Myanmar Garment Worker Allegations Tracker documented allegations from March 2021 to February 2023.
- A survey sent to 46 fashion brands and retailers linked to allegations in the Tracker, conducted between April and May 2023.
Interviews with six union leaders and civil society actors on the ground conducted between April and May 2023.
