The workers of the GOLDEN FASHION Garment Factory told Myanmar Labor News that their statutory leaves are labeled as absent and their rights are being cut.
According to the workers, the GOLDEN FASHION garment factory is operated in Anaw Ra Hta Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon District and is owned by a Chinese national.
"We are unable to take a leave. With or without reporting attendance bonus of 10,000 MMK and meal allowance 15,000 MMK and professional fee; all would be cut," the factory workers said.
He said that most of the workers are considered to be absent because they cannot easily get a gate pass for the matter.
"We are paid daily wage 4,800 MMK, overtime wage, professional fee, attendance bonus 20000 MMK and a bag of rice equivalent to meal allowance 30,000 MMK," the workers explained to Myanmar Labor News.
Regarding the leave benefits on working days and holidays, the law stipulated by Myanmar, chapter 3 entitled "Employee has the right to receive the relevant fee or salary according to the type of leave specified by the law for a specified period of time."
Although it is clearly stated in the law, GOLDEN FASHION Garment Factory says that they will cut benefits for taking a leave and they said professional fee 2,400 MMK per day will be given but that expert fee will be cut again if the garment is not completed within the specified time.
"Suppose that the employer appoints 10,000 fabric per machines starting from June. If only 70 percent is completed within the specified date, the expert fee will be cut and it is up to 30 percent," said the workers.
The workers told Myanmar Labor News that the factory asks them impossible fabric standards and pregnant workers are not appointed to work comfortably, and they are being asked to work like ordinary workers.
In addition, the factory did not inform the workers in advance that they would call for overtime.
"They call overtime until 9 p.m. sometimes. They didn’t inform in advanced. They told me that we have to go down overtime (9 o'clock) when we are about to go back to work in the evening and we are not allowed to contact our families about being late," the workers said.
The GOLDEN FASHION factory has been open for almost 2 years but more than 900 workers are using unsanitary toilet water, they told Myanmar Labor News.
It is said that the factory is manufacturing brands such as UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON. There is no labor union in the workplace, but a workplace coordination committee (WCC).
According to the workers, they want to appeal to inform in advanced and to survey upon calling overtime, to easily allowed for taking legal leaves, not to cut from the meal allowance, to give the professional fee as before and not to cut with percentage, to ask only the possible fabric standard and to provide pure water for the toilets.
