Garment workers in Myanmar are struggling to cover everyday living costs while factory owners enjoy the surge in demand from global fashion brands. The minimum wage barely covers the cost of food. Ten years in the garment industry, workers live in dorms and can’t afford a place of their own.

Most garment workers report working up to 11 hours a day, six days a week. There are horror stories like workers choosing not to drink too much water so they don’t have to use the bathroom as they will miss out on bonuses. Workers face bad working conditions and health. There is an overwhelming number of workers who don’t know their rights. A report from Burma’s Women Union, published some months ago, revealed workers from nine factories that supply H&M, Marks and Spencer and C&A who face a cycle of poverty and debt.

Garment manufacturers are moving from Bangladesh and China to take advantage of cheaper labor in Myanmar. Many business owners view the minimum wage – which is the second lowest in the region after Bangladesh – as a maximum price rather than a floor price. They prefer paying the minimum wage rather than a living wage.

The biggest issue that workers report is companies’ blatantly ignoring labor laws. This has resulted in a rise of workers’ protests, which is starting to see results. Still many fear losing their job for raising their voice. That is why NGOs like international women’s organisation The Circle is calling for fashion brands to acknowledge the right to a living wage as a fundamental human right. They are calling for a global pact among brands taking responsibility to pay workers a fair wage in the factories they use.