"HOPE ONE garment workers say not to violate labor rights in the workplace", 14 February 2024

At the HOPE ONE garment factory, which operates with more than 1,000 workers...the workers have demanded that [the factory does] not violate labor rights because they [face] workplace violations, physical assaults, and [demands] for excessive [targets]...

...there is no trade union in the workplace.

The workers said that despite having to pay 2,500 kyats of social security contributions every month as occupational violations, they were not entitled to medical leave, and their daily allowances were cut...

Day laborers are forced to work at the workplace and only [receive] 5,000 kyats for 10 hours of work. Although they have been working for more than 3 months, they are not confirmed and often fired...

"In a factory with more than 1,000 workers, when it's time to go back to work, they have to line up and exit through one of the doors. If the female workers don't...line [up correctly], the manager hits them on the buttocks with a coat hook....the boys are hit on the head...this is unacceptable. I want them to stop physically assaulting them," said the worker.

...the workers were asked to [meet] excessive [targets]...and were forced to threaten that they would not be paid in full if the [targets] were not met...

He said that if...any [targets are] falling...[workers] are being [spoken to] dishonorably, and if the worker speaks up again, he will be fired from his job.

"Garment workers are not allowed to bring phones into the workplace...the workers are asked to clean the machine lines every day...The manager also enters the machine line and inspects it. If the machine is not clean, they are [must pay] 1000. The worker has to clean not only the sewing machine but also the other machines in the line...Please stop the exploitation," said the worker...

[Translation via Google Translate]