Feb 18, 2010 (DVB)-Workers of a garment factory in Rangoon’s Insein township staged a protest on Tuesday demanding a pay rise, increase in overtime fee and day off on public holidays, an eyewitness said.

"It started at about 4 pm," said a worker of the factory. "There were (about) 100 people yesterday. Today there are 80 workers. They are stopping work and demanding these inside the factory compound."

He added that the factory was surrounded by armed security personnel with ten security vans, one prison van and a fire engine.

According to sources close to the garment industry, the factory is called ‘Sky’ and is owned by an engineering cooperative.

An officer on duty at Insein police station told DVB that officials from the Labour Administration Department are negotiating for an amicable and peaceful end to the crisis but refused to call it an industrial strike.

"It is only a regular talk between the employers and workers on salary… not a protest," he said.

But when asked why the factory is surrounded by security forces, he insisted that it is only a routine patrol of the police to impose law and order.

The latest incident followed hot on the heels of another protest last week in which hundreds of armed police were deployed to monitor some 2000 female factory workers demanding a pay rise and better workplace conditions.

About 40 riot police trucks, six lockup trucks and four fire engines surrounded the factory before the strike finished in the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone on the outskirts of Rangoon.

A seven-point set of demands was made by the workers, from the Korean-owned Opal-2 garment factory, including a pledge from factory owners that staff will not have to work beyond 9pm, as well as easing restrictions on going to bathroom. They have also requested not to work on weekends or national holidays.

It is still not clear in both case whether a settlement has been reached between the employers and workers or what kind of actions are being taken against the leaders of the striking workers.

They are too afraid to make their demands directly to the media lest they be accused of inciting upheaval by the government.

reporting by Aye Nai