The Federation of Trade Unions and trade union activists demanded the government check the authenticity of claims from the garment industry that there was a shortage of raw materials at factories.

A press release jointly issued on February 27 by Union of Myanmar Federation of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and Entrepreneurs Association, said it may have to lay off workers amid a temporary closure of factories in the garment industry due to the Covid 19 epidemic in China  which caused production to shut down because of a shortage of raw materials.

Union of Myanmar Federation of Industries and Services Trade Unions Secretary (1) Nay Lin Aung said, “These garment factories are still calling workers for overtime. Some have to work till 10 p.m. in these factories. According to our study, the raw materials will not be totally out of stock as they claimed.”

He added that though they were concerned about the shortage of raw materials it is still not an emergency situation for this industry.