abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

29 Dec 2022

Author:
Solidarity of Trade Union Myanmar

Myanmar: Garment worker alleges multiple labour rights violations at factory, incl. mandatory overtime & doubled production targets

See all tags Allegations

…I have been working at the Myanmar Best Fortune garment factory as an Operator...

Most of the products we sew are for EU Brands…we cannot take casual and annual leave.

The power generator of our factory was broken on 2022 September 30. That is just…[false]. But, we had to work on October 2, as a replacement of that day. Some of us didn’t go to work as it was our holiday. The factory management cut our daily wage for that day and other [overtime] fees and monthly bonus on the payday…

I said that was our [day-off] so we didn’t come to work. But you cut our wages. Therefore I request…[you] give…what we deserve. But the manager didn’t give [it] to us…we filed our case to [the] Conciliation Body office and the dispute has been discussed at the office. But we couldn’t resolve it…

On 23rd the factory management assigned us…overtime. One group of workers had to work up to 8pm and another one had to work up to 6pm. Me and some of my colleagues were in [the] 8pm group but it was quite difficult for us to go back home [at] such a late time. So we requested to move into [the] 6pm group. But the factory management didn’t allow [this], and told…us that the ones who are not working up to 8pm shall not all be able to work [overtime] up to 6pm. Instead, we just had to leave at 4pm.

As we were told to go back home, I went into the factory management office and I asked [them] to give...the fee for commuting as… But the staff said, “You are leaving the factory with you[r] own decision…Therefore, we…[don’t] plan to give…any transportation fee.”…

...I went to the office and I asked them [if] the factory management [will] give us the casual leave, annual leave and sick leave.

The staff said they have no plan to give these rights and told us that the factory owner also no longer wants us…then we were fired. We discussed [this] at [the] township Conciliation Body. The factory owner said he will give us some compensation but he will not employ us back again…

…our factory has never made…employment contracts and also there is no WCCC in the factory. Indeed, an employment contract shall be signed within 30 days after a worker is employed…

…There is only one nurse and there is no doctor…the toilets are not enough…when we wish to use the toilet, we [must] wait for [a] long time. And the drinking water…is also not clean…when the auditors come, the factory management provides us purified drinking water…when the auditors leave the factory, they take back the water bottles…

If the workers are late…the super[visors] fine them. Every morning in the factory, the manager is shouting with a speaker…

We have to try to meet the hourly target demand alone while two workers are working for [the] same target in other lines.

If we cannot meet the hourly target, the factory management scolds us and ask if we are taking the money without proper effort…

If [we take] leave for 2,3 days, the factory management…[tells us] to leave the job…

…we are not allowed to use the toilet [during] the last 30 minutes of a day…the worst thing is [overtime]. Sometimes, [overtime lasts] whole nights…Sometimes we had to work double. They have never asked our consent…

…we had to sleep…in the factory as we are not allowed to go back home. And on the next day morning, we have to resume our work. Sometimes the factory allows us to leave for home at 4am but didn’t arrange transportation.

[Translation via Google Translate]