Myanmar: Garment workers at Tristate Myanmar factory report forced overtime & excessive production targets
Summary
Date Reported: 14 Aug 2022
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Tristate Myanmar - Supplier , Otto - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 3000
Workers: ( 3000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Gender Discrimination , Excessive production targets , Business-military collusion , Mandatory overtimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Tristate Myanmar allegedly supplies to Otto; Otto provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre, stating it was in the process of terminating business with the factory.
Source type: News outlet
"TRISTATE MYANMAR factory workers say that they are working without the right to rest on the weekend", 14 August 2022
The workers of the TRISTATE MYANMAR factory, which opened near the Kone Tala Pawn stop in Yangon Mylangadom Township, said that they were forced to work overtime on Sunday, which is a public holiday, and that if they did not work, they were threatened and discriminated against.
It...operates with more than 3,000 workers, and manufactures [for] brands such as OTTO [and] M&S...
It is said that they are forcing workers who do not have days off in[to] the workplace, and overtime [shft workers] are also forced to not leave until 9:00 at night. The workers said that since the military dictator issued a curfew order, the workers are no longer called for overtime OT at night, and the employer is changing the overtime [shift to]...early morning (6:30).
...if they are 1 or 2 minutes late [ to the early morning shift], the supervisors...speak harshly to the workers...
They are asking for [workers to meet higher targets] than normal, and when they ask for [the completed target], the super[visors] swear at the workers...and if they don't get enough [work done], they have to eat quickly during lunch and sew clothes...during breaks.
"The workers don't dare to talk back, even if they take leave because they are sick, they are yelled at and insulted. They have to work non-stop for fear of not being able to eat and live. They are very miserable," said a worker who works at the factory.
Due to the bad political situation, there is coercion in the workplace. The workers said that because the administrators are from the military community, the workers are facing difficulties in situations where they do not dare to speak up.
[Workers demands:]
- To designate Sunday as a day off for workers.
- To release workers from work at a specified time on Saturday.
- To allow full rest without being forced to work while eating.
- Super[visors] to [stop swear[ing] at the workers...
- If there are workplace injuries, the employer should take responsibility.
- Early in the morning (6:30) overtime...should be called with the consent of the workers, and if they don't [do the] overtime [shift], they want to demand that [the supervisors] don't swear, discriminate, etc
[Translation via Google Translate]