Myanmar: Garment workers at Myanmar Knitting allegedly dismissed if 'unfair' targets are not met
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Sep 2022
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Myanmar Knitting Factory - Supplier , Marks & Spencer - Buyer , Primark (part of Associated British Foods) - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 4969
Workers: ( 4969 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile )Issues
Freedom of Association , Dismissal , Mandatory overtime , Excessive production targetsResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Myanmar Knitting was supplying to Primark and Marks & Spencer; both companies provided a response to a request from the Resource Centre.
Source type: News outlet
"Myanmar Knitting wool garment factory has a lot of requests for fabric records", 29 September 2022
Workers at the Myanmar Knitting wool garment factory in Pathein (13) Ward, Pathein, Irrawaddy Division, said that the...head of the department was demanding [targets that exceeded] workers' ability to work.
"...Choo Sukhin...told me to sew clothes quickly even when it wasn't working time. They asked me to clean the machines before work time and called meetings. If [the targets] they demanded unfairly [were not met], they would fire me for two or three days. If [workers] didn't meet the [targets] they demanded unfairly, they would be fired because they said they were fat. There are many people who are sewing clothes even during lunchtime without eating," said a worker at the factory.
".... After the factory is temporarily closed and reopened, the trade union leaders and union members are not called back. If they find out that they are members of the union, they will fire them for various reasons," said a worker who works at the factory.
The Myanmar Knitting Wool Garment Factory sews the M & S collection brand...
[Translation via Google Translate]