Myanmar: Garment workers intimidated into doing overtime shifts
Summary
Date Reported: 14 May 2024
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Gainway International (Myanmar) - Supplier , Carrefour - Former buyer , Etam Groupe - Buyer , Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) - Former buyer , Kiabi - Former buyer , Primark (part of Associated British Foods) - Former buyer , Tesco - Reported buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 500
Workers: ( 500 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Mandatory overtime , Intimidation , Occupational Health & Safety , Wage TheftResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Gainway International (Myanmar) allegedly supplies or has supplied to Tesco, H&M, Primark, KIABI, Carrefour and Etam; Tesco, H&M, Primark, and KIABI provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. H&M stated it does not source from the factory. Primark stated it stopped sourcing from Myanmar in October 2023. KIABI stated its last orders at the factory were in May 2024. Etam did not respond. Tesco has previously stated it stopped sourcing from Myanmar in Spring 2022, but works with Gainway in other countries.
Source type: News outlet
"Gainway international garment factory intimidates and scolds the workers who refuse to work overtime", 14 May 2024
Workers from Gainway International Garment factory said that the factory intimidate[s] and scold[s] the workers who don’t work additional overtime after the mandatory 2 hours one. The factory is manufacturing [for] Elam and MCW brands currently.
“...They don’t inform in advance and [they are] calling [workers in] on Sundays as well,” the workers said.
...the supervisors are intimidating the workers for not working the overtime.
“The super[visor] got angry [at] 6 workers who didn’t work the additional overtime. They left at 6:00 pm instead of 8:00 pm. The supervisors told the workers to leave at 4:00 pm if they can’t work all overtimes. We are working 2 hours of overtime daily as the expenses are not covered without overtime, the employers are intimidating other employers regarding job,” said a worker...
“They don’t give a break time until 6:00 pm overtime. They neither provide any snacks, They give some snacks if we work until 8:00 pm but have to eat while working only if [management] aren’t around,” said the worker.
The workers said that...the workers [are] making their salaries different from each other [due to differences in bonuses paid to workers]...
...there is no heat and cold balance adjusting in the factory [and] there are some departments where the workers have to work under the heavy sunlight all day.
“The workplace is too hot. We already asked for the air conditioner but the factory didn’t [do anything]...The temperature is always around 37, 38 and 39 degrees Celsius. But they lied in the documents saying it’s just 34 degrees Celsius. The clinic only provide[s] one mineral soft drink per two people and sometimes we don’t even get it,” the worker explained the working condition under the high temperature...
[Translation via Myanmar Labour News]