Myo Thein
We are writing from Delo Myanmar garment factory.
Workers are facing many difficulties because overtime is required late into the night. Orders are accepted very close to the deadline and then suddenly arrive.
Workers are forcibly required to work overtime claiming that the orders are extremely urgent. Production targets are set unreasonably high, with demands of 100 pieces per hour, and if we cannot meet the target, we are scolded. When night overtime is called, not all workers on the line are included; only selected workers are called. This is not because others are allowed to refuse.
The workload becomes extremely exhausting because only a small number of workers are assigned.
We do not get proper rest on Sundays. Almost every Sunday, we are required to work overtime. If there are four Sundays in a month, we usually get only one day off. If we do not work, we are reprimanded.
For night overtime, we are required to work until 8:30 p.m. When we return home, there is no one left at home. The markets are already closed. We then still have to cook, and on top of that, electricity outages make everything even more difficult. Working late almost every night leaves us completely exhausted.
When we work at night, dinner is provided, but it is insufficient and not filling. On Saturdays, other factories allow workers to leave at 4:30 p.m., but our factory does not let us go at 4:30 p.m. This happens almost every month.
If this situation continues long term, it will not be sustainable for us. Returning home late at night is dangerous, especially for men. We are afraid of porters being forced and have also encountered cases of military conscription.
The factory owner is Chinese.
Around 500 workers are employed at the factory.
Delo Myanmar garment factory is located on Min Ayar Road (Aut Htake Bus Stop), Shwe Than Lwin Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township.
