"They said they were threatened with slapping if they didn't work overtime on Sundays"

Workers at Myanmar Xiang Rui Fashion Garment Factory in Shwe Pyi Thar Township’s Sadukkan Industrial Zone are being pressured to work overtime on Sundays and public holidays, according to workers.

“They have been working on Sundays for two weeks now. They are saying they will work on Sundays as well. I don’t know for sure. The overtime pay is 1,400 per hour. But it’s about 1,000 to 2,000 more than the actual rate for a full day. I don’t know for sure,” the worker said.

Workers are being called to work overtime until 8:40 p.m., and are being pressured to work overtime on Sundays without asking their consent. The factory manager even announced on the microphone that if they don’t work overtime on Sundays, they will be slapped, so the workers have to work even if they don’t want to.

The manager also announced on the microphone that if they contact the relevant organizations for help with such overtime, they will be prosecuted under the Communications Act.

“If workers are called to work overtime on Sundays, there is no prior notice to the workers. The factory manager even said on the microphone that if they don’t work overtime, they will be slapped. The workers also said that if they contact other organizations outside the factory, they will be prosecuted under the Communications Act, so they have to work even if they don’t want to,” the workers told Safe Migration & Labor Rights.

According to Safe Migration & Labor Rights, workers are having difficulty getting in and out of work, including checking their underwear, as a 60-year-old woman searches both male and female workers, according to the report.

“The fact that they are being searched even in their underwear is not a form of physical examination. They are being searched in the toilets,” said one worker.

In addition, workers are allowed to take leave due to ill health, but they are not given the legal right to take leave, but are given unpaid leave.

Although the WCC has been established, it does not solve the problems of workers at work, and the employers only call them to inform them. Therefore, the workers want the WCC to be formed to help them.

"When buyers come to inspect the factory, they pretend to have a union, but in 2019 they say they have an organization. They say they have formed a WCC. They don't do anything for the workers. They do what their employers tell them to do. They don't stand up for the workers," the workers said.

On July 29, 2024, a worker who was called in to repair a machine was physically punched by the mechanic, and the factory did not take effective action against the rude behavior, according to Safe Migration & Labor Rights.

Regarding the above issues, we would like to inform the officials of the labor office and the buyers who have placed orders at the factory to effectively resolve the difficulties faced by the workers at the factory, and the workers working at the Myanmar Xiang Rui Fashion factory have also requested help, according to Safe Migration & Labor Rights.

The factory employs about 800 workers and manufactures OVS/RESERVED/LCW VISION/LONSDALE/XSIDE brands.

[Translation via Google Translate]