Myanmar: Over 1000 garment workers at Honor Apparel factory protest for wage increase
Summary
Date Reported: 6 Jun 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Bestseller - Reported buyer , Honor Apparel Garment - Supplier , OVS SpA - Former buyer , LPP Spółka Akcyjna - Buyer , C&A - Former buyer , LC Waikiki - Buyer , HK Works London - Buyer , KappAhl - Former buyer , House (part of LPP S.A) - Buyer , Kiabi - Former buyer , ONLY (part of Bestseller) - Reported buyer , Sinsay (part of LPP S.A.) - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 1000
Workers: ( 1000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Fair & Equal Wages , Poverty WagesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Action taken: Honor Apparel allegedly supplies or has supplied to C&A, Kiabi, KappAhl, LPP S.A., OVS S.p.A, BESTSELLER, LC Waikiki and HK Works London. OVS S.p.A and LPP S.A provided a response to a request to comment from the Resource Centre. LC Waikiki and HK Works London did not. Kiabi has previously stated it no longer sourced from the factory from April 2022. C&A has previously stated it no longer sources from Myanmar. KappAhl has previously stated its last order with the factory was placed in 2020.BESTSELLER has previously stated it does not source from the factory.
Source type: News outlet
“More than 1,000 Honor Apparel factory workers staged a peaceful protest at the workplace for a minimum wage of 5,600 kyats”, 6 June 2023
More than 1,000 Honor Apparel factory workers are holding a peaceful demonstration today, June 6, [calling for the factory] to pay 5,600 kyats as a minimum wage and 1,400 kyats [for overtime], and to change the salary system…
The factory, which was opened in 2011, employs more than 1,000 workers, and there is no trade union in the workplace…
Among the demands, there are 18 points in total, including the appointment of day laborers as permanent workers for a certain period of time, and the overtime hours between 8pm and 11pm…
It is reported that the factory is owned by a Chinese national and manufactures brands such as SOUTHBLUE, OVS...HOUSE, HKWORKS LONDON…
"I want a fixed salary. Only 3 out of 70 workers get 300,000. The rest of the people don't have a fixed salary…Even if they have more than 10 years of experience, they don't get more than 300,000 a month. All of them are less than this. Before, they got 600,000 or 700,000…The workers' wish is that if they do what they ask for, they will go back to work…," said the protesting worker .
The demands are to change the daily wage from ticket fee to 5600 kyat and OT fee to 1400 to increase the daily wage in accordance with the law…
On the 29th, a total of three (3) demands were negotiated through the Workplace Conciliation (WCC) and there was no resolution. June On the 6th, the workers stopped work in the workplace and peacefully protested.
[Translation via Google Translate]