Myanmar: Garment workers at underwear factory reportedly face series of labour rights violations incl. denial of permanent contracts, denial of legal benefits & excessive production targets
Summary
Date Reported: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Topline Global - Supplier , New Yorker - Buyer , Creaciones Selene - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 600
Workers: ( 600 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Denial of leave , Wage Theft , Personal Health , Gender Discrimination , Harassment (other than sexual) , Mandatory overtime , Excessive production targets , Occupational Health & SafetyResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Topline Global allegedly supplies to New Yorker and Creaciones Selene; both did not provide a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre.
Source type: News outlet
"Most of the workers in an underwear factory that exports to European countries are only working as day laborers. He said that he did not get the rights of the labor law", 24 November 2022
The workers of the Top Line garment factory said that most of the workers in the underwear sewing factory, which is sewn in Myanmar and exported to European countries, are only working as day laborers, and some of them have been working as day laborers for up to a year.
The factory in Hlaing Thayar Shwe Lim Van Industrial Zone manufactures men's and women's underwear and employs more than 600 people, half of whom are day laborers, the workers said...
There is a medical clinic in the factory, but there is no medicine or nurse. Workers working at the factory said that drinking water was only available when the fire came on, and when the power went out and the generator was running, there was no drinking water for a long time.
He said that the manpower per ferry has been unbalanced for a long time, and even now, they have to ride dangerously.
"There are only 20 permanent employees per line...all the rest are day workers, and the day laborers were paid 5,000 per day and 1,000 OT per hour. Now, on November 16, the factory said that if the day laborers do not work for a full week, they will no longer be paid," said a worker in the factory who did not want to be named.
"On the 13th of the 11th month, a girl who worked as a day laborer went around saying that the daily wage should be paid in the morning and in the evening, and she did not [receive] the wages," a worker said.
In the workplace, day laborers are asked for a [target] of 20,000 per month, and if they meet the [target], they will be appointed as a wage earner.
A worker said, "If the workers don't reach the target, they ask them to take a nap. They are afraid of [not] reaching the target, and the workers don't even dare to [work] lightly. They can't eat a full meal even at meal time," said a worker.
He said that he was working with difficulties because the supervisors in the workplace... curse...
The workers say that they are not getting the legal rights in the workplace, such as benefits, and that they have to work patiently because of the scarcity of jobs.
[Translation via Google Translate]