"Over 1,000 workers forced to work overtime until midnight for 2 months without overtime pay, fired without maternity leave", 10 September 2024

Over 1,000 workers were forced to work overtime from 7:30 a.m. to midnight for 2 months last June and July, and were not paid overtime, according to workers at He MeT Company Limited.

The workers said that there were not enough dining chairs in the workplace, the toilets where they could sit and eat were not clean, pregnant workers were forced to work on an equal basis with regular workers, and they were not allowed to leave the workplace due to the lack of safety...

The factory is located on U Tun Nyo Street, Dwinthin Taw, Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon Region...

The factory employs over 1,000 workers, all of whom worked as day laborers for 6 months before being approved for employment.

The factory has no labor union. It is said that the factory sews jackets [for] brands such as Everme and MAKE TODAY AMAZING.

"All workers are considered day laborers. Even on Saturdays, all workers with less than 6 months of experience are forced to work from 12 noon to 7 pm without any overtime pay. Many young workers aged 13, 14, and 15 are also forced to work...and they work equally with adult workers...When they work, they have to work like adults, and when they pay, they [aren't paid like] adults. They...exploit child laborers," said a worker working at the factory.

The workers said that when the labor inspection office came to inspect the workplace, they only saw the manager and then left without going inside the machine line.

"The inspection office came and inspected, but nothing changed. The situation only got worse," the worker said.

The workers were not given the legal rights that workers are entitled to, such as casual leave and medical leave...

"If workers call to apply for leave because they are sick or have an emergency, they are not given a lot of daily allowances. If a worker is sick and cannot come to the workplace, they are charged 1,000 kyats per hour. If they go to the clinic, they have to pay their own way. They do not provide health care," the female worker said...

The workers said that they have been working overtime until 12 am for the past 2 months and have not received their wages.

"I have been working overtime for 6 months, a whole month, and a whole month for 7 months until 12 am. They have not paid me the overtime pay yet. Instead, they have...forced [me] to work overtime by telling me that they will give me extra...bonuses...The maximum amount of fabric bonuses a tailor can get is 50,000 won," the worker said.

The workers said that they want to solve the problem of being forced to work overtime for 2 months and receiving wages fraudulently.

"If the target set by the employer is met, the super[visor] will get 100,000,000, and the super[visor] will get 300,000...The super[visor] is pressuring the workers and forcing them to do what the employer wants. The super[visor] is only working to make money, and the rest of the workers are suffering," the worker said.

In addition to violating workers' rights and not paying wages, they are also demanding excessive [targets]...

"If they don't get the rate they ask for, the super[visor] will say rude things and curse, and when they pay, they only pay on the 7th," the worker said.

...if you leave work in the evening, the [factory transport] arrive[s] late...there is no proper management, and the workers should be compensated for the late return home.

In addition, there was an incident where a worker who asked for leave due to illness was fired from the workplace without the right to fire him on the grounds that he had overslept, and such illegal dismissals are often committed, he said.

They said they are suffering because of the 10,000 kyats cut from each worker, the reduction of bonuses, and the deduction of bonuses from those who quit...

The workers' demands are:

1. The employer should not employ young...workers on an equal basis with older workers.
2. The employer should allow workers to enjoy the occasional leave and medical leave that they are entitled to.
3. The employer should not fire pregnant women and provide maternity leave.
4. The employer should take responsibility for abusive and rude words [used by] bosses.
5. The bosses should not deduct bonuses from the salaries of workers.
6. The employer should approve the appointment of workers who have completed 3 months.
7. The employer should ensure that the ferry is operated on time for the workers to return to work.
8. The employer should pay the workers their salaries on the 5th.
9. The employees of He MeT Company Limited are demanding that the employer pay the overtime pay for the 2 months that the workers worked until 12 midnight.

[Translation via Google Translate]