Myanmar: Garment workers at Bohua Fashion factory report multiple labour rights abuses
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Nov 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Reserved (part of LPP Spółka Akcyjna) - Reported buyer , Sinsay (part of LPP S.A.) - Reported buyer , LPP Spółka Akcyjna - Reported buyer , Bohua Fashion - Supplier , NKD - Reported buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 200
Workers: ( 200 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Harassment (other than sexual) , Gender Discrimination , Excessive production targets , Denial of leave , Occupational Health & Safety , Personal Health , Denial of permanent contracts , Mandatory overtime , Wage TheftResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Bohua Fashion allegedly supplies to LPP S.A (for its Reserved and Sinsay brands) and NKD Group; Both brands provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre, stating they have not sourced from the factory.
Source type: News outlet
"Workers' rights are being violated at BOHUA FASHION garment factory", 29 November 2023
Workers at the BOHUA FASHION garment factory, which sews Sinsay brand women's and children's shirts, are not entitled to benefits...[Workers are] forced to overtime, The workers said that some overtime payments were not paid...
The factory, which is owned by Chinese nationals, has been opened in Hlaing Thayar Shwe Lim Van Industrial Zone, Khawan Road, and is operating with more than 200 workers and does not have a labor union.
Day laborers are employed in the workplace and forced to work overnight or overtime.
The worker said that he had a hard time [meeting the set targets], because if...the [target] was not met, [workers are] cursed [at] and [told], "If you can't do it...will quit your job."...
"...The normal working hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. They let me go at 3:30 pm because there were no orders the previous day. It took a week for the [orders] to arrive, and they asked me to come down until 5:30 am, and...didn't pay overtime," the worker said.
He also said that workers were forced to stay up all night without [consent, and [were] threatened [with dismissal] if they refused to work overtime.
"Also, we are not entitled to casual leave [and] medical leave[.] If we miss a day of work, [our wages] will cut [by] a total of 35,600 kyats, and overtime pay will be reduced from 1,400 to 1,200 kyats....There is no clinic at work...The workers have old social security cards. They did not renew them...And...if the workers ask for something [supervisors] "Always threaten...[workers] with the army," said a disgruntled worker.
The workers want to correct the violations of labor rights...
[Translation via Google Translate]