Myanmar: Union negotiates agreement with garment factory after workers dismissed for failing to attend work due to security concerns & travel concerns amid military takeover
Summary
Date Reported: 10 Jul 2021
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Twinkle Light Myanmar - Supplier , Carrefour - Former buyer , Mango - Buyer , Primark (part of Associated British Foods) - Buyer , Matalan - Buyer , Lidl - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 100
Workers: ( 100 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Denial of permanent contracts , DismissalResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Twinkle Light allegedly supplies to Carrefour, Lidl, Mango, Matalan and Primark; Carrefour, Lidl and Primark provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Carrefour stated that it had stopped sourcing from the factory. Matalan and Mango did not respond.
Source type: Social Media
“Twinkle Light Garment Factory Workers in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone Receive Demands with IWFM Assistance”, 10 July 2021
[…]
An agreement was reached between employers and workers, with officials from the Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IWFM) assisting in the dismissal of workers at the Twinkle Light garment factory.
The incident was marred by political instability last March. Workers who [were] unable to enter the workplace due to security concerns and travel difficulties [and] [w]orkers who failed to notify the factory due to power outages were fired by their employers...
Workers who were deported due to political unrest and those who could not return to work on time due to transportation difficulties were fired by the factory. In addition, workers who returned to work [after] the factory reopened were re-employed as new workers.
Officials from the IWFM have repeatedly negotiated with the employer [who] agreed to the workers' demands.
According to the agreement, a total of two union leaders and a member of the union will be given political and economic rights. Due to security concerns and travel difficulties, unpaid leave was granted from July 1 to October 1. The employer agreed to continue discussions if [they] could not return to work at the end of the leave.
In addition, workers who wish to return to work but have not been able to do so due to various reasons can contact the relevant authorities by phone or in person...The employer agrees to continue negotiations if there is a valid reason for re-employment at the end of the leave period…
[Translation via Google Translate]