By Min Ni Kyaw - Dec 23, 2023
DELTA MATE Myanmar Co., Ltd factory, which manufactures GUESS women's nightgowns, is cutting 20% of workers' wages because of low orders, the workers said.
"They pay like this every year. We have been experiencing this for over 3 years now. The working time is only half a day," said one of the workers.
She said that they can go back from work after working from 7:30 in the morning to 11:30 in the afternoon. But the workers who are far away from the factory have to return with their own plans.
"They don't provide a ferry to those who live far away. They paid 3000. But the workers have to spent 5,000 to get home. As we get paid only 80 percent, leaving only around 2,000 kyats wages are left.” a worker explained.
She said that only 80% of wages are paid from December to the end of April with the reasons of low orders happen every year, so they have to without full wages for about 5 months every year. Even though the full daily wage is paid, the hourly wage is only half, which is about 30 percent less than the regular wage.
"Daily wage is 80 percent and hourly rate is only 50 percent. It is convenient only because of the full daily fee. We only got more than 170,000 in total including the government substidy. Normally, about 220,000kyats. Orders are full," said the workers.
The workers also said that as the factory gave workers' leaders (Leaders) as normal without reducing their benefits, they were discriminated against even though they were the same among the workers inside.
"Workers are not paid overtime, but 46 hours rate for overtime is calculated for leaders. They pay full amount for the leaders such as leader fee and meal fees. In a department of the factory, a Korean instructor let all the workers go but leave the leaders. He do this even if there are jobs to do. Salary is discriminated and also discriminate at work," the workers said.
The workers said they were constantly discriminated against by their Korean supervisors, even though they had to redo the work left unfinished by the leaders in the next day.
"We want to get paid, according to the law. And not to discriminate us. We are having much seniority here. We know who do what," said one of the workers.
DELTA MATE Myanmar Co., Ltd factory is located in Kyar Kyan village, Hleku township, Yangon and it is said that around 1000 workers are working in the factory and. no trade union or WCC is formed.
