Myanmar: Garment workers who resigned over forced & unpaid overtime reach settlement with factory
"Negotiation of Jia Xin (Myanmar) overtime forcing issue reaches a settlement", 7 September 2023
The issue that cause[d] Jia Xin(Myanmar) Garment Co. Ltd labourers to resign for [being forced to work] overtime for free reaches a settlement. The factory is located in War Ta Yar Street 2, War Ta Yar Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township.
12 labourers including the super[visor] and leader left the workplace on 12-8-23 [because they] couldn’t tolerate...being forced to work overtime for free [anymore].
The first attempt [to] negotiat[e]...the case didn’t reach a settlement and the military and police raided and threatened the labourers houses at the night. But the employer [refutes] this.
“We negotiated the whole day. But we found a gap [in the] salary only after we reached a settlement...we only negotiated for the 12 labourers to return to the factory, we consider that they should sign [for their employment] if the salary gap is resolve[d] at the pay day and if not [they should] resign. But this morning the employer said he won’t pay and the labourers also stated that they will only return...if they got [their pay]. So...STUM, the negotiation party[,] paid cover for this. The contract is signed and the issue is resolved now,” known from the individual close to the labours.
These things exist among the violations upon the labours in the factory:
- The HR always decides alone in the workplace as he takes the role of both Interpreter and production
- Forcing overtime for free
- [Signing] the labourers [signature] on the resign[ation] paper without informing them
The factory is currently manufacturing a Japanese Brand as a sub-order from another factory...
“They are not union members. They are just members of the union in the previous factory. They reorganized in this factory only after their first union disband. The only thing to [do] is arbitration if it is not resolve[d]. But we don’t consider this too much as we already hope that they will [stop]. We have already reported to [the] complaint mechanism. We will do it by brand names as they manufacture [for] ZARA and GU,” said the supporter.