Yoon Satt - Feb 25, 2024
According to the workers from Handa garment factory which locates at the intersection of U Shwe Bin Street and U Myue Street, there are labor right abuses in the factory
The factory is manufacturing BURTLE brand shirt and bras with around 3,000 work force and the WCC never stood with the workers.
“Although the HR department said workers from HR department can took leave, the supers and all supers never give a leave but instead call 4 hours of overtime every day. The workers also have to work until 20:30 and only given for 2 hours when the salary is issued but the other two hours are given immediately and not displayed which is violating the labor rights,” said the worker.
“They were calling all night overtimes and just changed to 8:30 pm just after the inspection team came. And they are asking impossible fabric outputs for the workers and those who finished are forced free overtime and if they refuse they will be discriminated. The supers from line (2), Daw Phyu Phyu and Daw Win Thander Hlaing are the worst.
The pregnant workers are also forced for overtime and hided when the inspectors came in. The water provided by the factory is not purified and not sufficient which make the workers have to drink basin water and the toilets are also having ad odors and it becomes worse in the evening as they don’t provide the toilet water anymore and the factory turns a blind eye on such issues,” said the workers.
Although the government have instructed to give the allowance of 1,000 kyats the employer is still not giving it to those who doesn’t finish the fabrics. And the Chinese experts are also pressurizing the supers and leaders to force more on the workers which leads to the verbal abuses of the supers and all supers.
“It looks like they are making the workers life more difficult as the all supers intimidate to fire if we report, force us to work overtime on public holidays if we can’t finish the outputs which forbids the workers who are studying for personal developments,” the workers said about their feelings.
Currently, they are having to work overtime on holidays as a substitute for Thingyan holidays. They have to work until 18:00 on Saturdays without being asked for their consents.
“We have to work on February 11, 2024 Sunday for substitute of Thingyan holiday and its until 18:00. We want the officials to resolve the issues regarding the abuses,” the workers seek for help.
