By Yoon Sat - Jul 01, 2024
According to the workers from LUCKY FORTUNE GARMENT which located at Sayar U Tun Street, Shwe
Pyi Thar Industrial Zone (4), Insein, their fabric fees have been reduced to half.
The factory is owned by a Chinese national and manufacturing FieldCore and Inextenso brand shirts and pants with more than 1,000 workers.
The workers are working with a fabric fee in the factory and get paid 22 kyats for a pant before and there were asked to make 450 pants a day and currently the fabric fees was reduced to 10 kyats on the grounds of raising the daily wages and the fabric demand become 570 fabric per day.
Workers are not allowed to eat and drink before finishing the output demands and only the managers and supervisors get paid the bonus which all workers entitled before. The managers and supervisors are verbally abusing the workers to finish the fabric outputs.
“The salary didn’t change as they reduce the fabric fee although they raise the daily wages. We have to work more than before and still doesn’t get comfortable. There are many things we are cut. They asked more fabric outputs and the employer gets benefits but the workers don’t,” said a worker.
The factory is asking impossible fabric outputs which is 570 fabric pieces in 10 working hours for a cavity with 55 people including the supervisor.
“They raise the output demands even if we finish without taking a break. The factory manager Daw Zin Zin Soe verbally abuse us with microphone every hour from the top of the cavities. Workers stopped the work and protested for reducing the fabric fees but the employer said that they have already told the WCC and it was signed. But WCC members don’t know about this. WCC is selected by the employer so they can’t address the problems,” said a worker.
“We are not entitled to casual and medical leaves. We are scolded for even taking a day of leave. The casual leave is not available at all. They cut the daily wages even if we inform leave with phone. The supervisors turn a blind eye if those who are comfortable with them takes leave but the other workers are cut 6,000 kyats daily wages and 20,000 kyats attendance bonus,” they said.
The workers are buying medicines with their own plan as the factory doesn’t provide enough medicines.
“Labor office came to inspect as the news media reported violations but the inspections were informed in advance to the employer as it is not a casual inspection, and the workers were taught in advance to tell the inspectors there were no violations in the workplace,” said a worker.
