Myanmar: Garment workers forced to lie to brand representatives who audit the factory
Summary
Date Reported: 25 Dec 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) - Reported buyer , Inditex - Former buyer , Zara (part of Inditex) - Former buyer , Lidl - Former buyer , Jiashihao (Myanmar) - Supplier , Otto - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 2000
Workers: ( 2000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Intimidation , Denial of leave , Occupational Health & Safety , Wage Theft , Mandatory overtime , Denial of leaveResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Jiashihao (Myanmar) allegedly supplies to H&M, Inditex (for its ZARA brand), Lidl and Otto; All brands provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre, stating the factory is no longer or was not in their supply chain.
Source type: News outlet
The workers said that the officials of the Jiashihao (Myanmar) factory told lies to the brand representatives who came to inquire about the factory...
The workers said that they mainly inquired about the hourly situation and whether the fan was on or off in the factory.
"As soon as the brand representatives (audit) came to check, the managers and HR followed behind...HR had to lie and [their] answer[s] [were] taught in advance..." said a worker currently working at the factory.
At the Jiashihao (Myanmar) factory, overtime is currently being called for 3 hours daily and until 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The workers said that sometimes they had to work until 8 p.m., resulting in a total of more than 20 hours of overtime per week...
"Many people are tired because they have to work overtime. I'm tired. Sometimes I get sick. If [they] call for more [over]time, there is no advance notice...If I say I don't want to go down because I'm tired. line super[visors] [say] don't come to work...[and the employer shout[s] in the factory with a microphone," the factory workers said.
The workers said that they have been working overtime for more than 3 months, and on some Saturdays they have to work all night. In addition, since the government increased the subsidy by 1000 kyat...the factory's professional fees were reduced by almost half, the income of each worker decreased by around 30 percent in the workers' pay slips...
A worker also said that the number of garments in the factory [to complete hourly] has almost doubled compared to before the seizure of power, and it has exceeded the ability of one worker to sew.
"...It's very tiring. [I'm] getting sick more and more..." A worker said.
Only one type of medical leave is allowed by the factory...and therefore, the daily wage [is cut if workers take leave]...Also, the workers said that if the generator breaks down during overtime, they have to go back to [work] the next day to complete the work without being paid for that extra time.
“...the fan is turned on only in the morning. Until 1 o'clock in the afternoon. When the brand representative came to check this, the factory officials asked me to answer that the fan is on all day. The truth is that they don't turn on the fans because they have to drive the generator...The workers said, "We have to meet the record despite the high heat."...
Jiashihao (Myanmar) Co., Ltd...sews H&M brand clothes with about 2,000 workers. He said that the WCC group is a fake organization and that there are no members who can solve the problems of the workers.
[Translation via Google Translate]