"SQI Garment Factory Forced to Work Without Full Break", 21 August 2024

...SQI Star Co.,Ltd Garment Factory in Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone are forcing their workers to work without full breaks. They also say that they are not given full breaks before work and during meals.

“We start work at 8 am, the ferry arrives 15 minutes before work, and we don’t get time to eat breakfast. They force us to come into the factory...They force us to do meetings within those 15 minutes, and we have to come in 5 minutes early for lunch,” they said.

The factory’s HR manager is responsible for forcing us to work, and the workers say that the lack of full breaks is causing health problems for the workers.

“The other day, a woman on the production line [a worker] had low blood pressure, and her stomach felt like it was bursting. “[This was] because they didn’t get to eat breakfast early in the morning...” said one worker.

There are also cases where workers are not allowed to go home due to health problems. They have to work overtime every day and if they miss a day, their rights are cut off, said one worker.

“[They don't give workers] a gate pass on Mondays, and if something happens on that day, they are forced to work...If they miss even one day, they are charged about 80,000 won.”

In addition, although there is a clinic in the factory, the nurses are only doing office work, so they cannot take care of the workers’ health. The workers said that the factory has strict rules and that there are also illegal dismissals and grievances.

“We also have time limits for going to the toilet, we are forced to come in early at work...They even fired me for not having a badge,” said one worker.

Currently, they are working overtime until 7:30 p.m. every day, and they are working continuously from lunch until the end of the day without any breaks, which is affecting the health of the workers.

“...the company does not provide any food...The workers are also afraid to speak up. Sometimes they are beaten up.”

The factory employs around 700 workers, and the workers say that no WCC has been formed to solve the problems of the workers...

The SQI garment factory has been operating for more than a year and is located in the Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone near the 199th stop under the Shwe Pyi Thar Bridge.

[Translation via Google Translate]