By Min Ni Kyaw - Jun 20, 2024

Workers from H&M brand manufacturing Hengda garment factory which located at Mawbe Township, Yangon division said that they are being forced to work 3 hours of overtime everyday since the Thingyan and forced to work overtime as well on public holidays in June.

“We work three hours of overtime until 7:30 p.m. We are working on Sundays and on Eid in this month. We want to get at least a day off per week,” said a worker.

According to the instruction expressed by the factory and labor law inspection department in 2022 said that workers’ agreement is necessary to call legal overtime. The maximum hours of overtime allowed per week is 20 hours and only factories and workshops those operate daily are allowed to call overtime on Sundays and week day offs.

“They said we have to work all night overtime on Friday, June 21. We don’t want to work but we are being pressured,” said a worker.

Workers said that they are exhausting and having health issues due to working overtime daily without a day off. And they are facing security concerns as well.

“Workers have concerns if the guest registration process is delayed as the factory forced overtime. They are afraid of being arrests. As for workers we want to work normal overtime hours with a day off,” they said.

Myanmar Industrial Craft & Services Trade Union Federation, MICS - TUsF – Myanmar said that Hengda garment factory continues to violate labor rights although they were reported to the H&M brand.

The factory located at Inn Lyat Village, Mawbe Township and operating with around 1,500 workers. The factory is owned by a Chinese national and there is no trade union in the factory but a workplace coordination committee is formed.