Burmese workers facing slave-like working conditions

A recently released report into the conditions of workers at industrial zones in and around Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, has highlighted the hardships that workers endure. The report highlighted that with the typical base wage of only around $US 1 per day, workers routinely work eleven hours a day, six days a week, with many reluctant to take any sick or holiday leave. In addition, workplaces are often unsanitary and many workers live in overcrowded factory supplied dormitories. While current laws do not give much protection to workers and unions, workers have nevertheless increased their activism over the last couple of years.