#Letter
Dear Respected Members of Myanmar Labor News,
We, the employees of GTIG HUBO Factory, are submitting this report to you as we find ourselves in a situation with no one else to turn to. We are experiencing severe workplace challenges and unjust practices, and we hope MLN can provide support by bringing attention to these issues.
Factory Management and Representation
Since the dismissal of the former factory manager, Kaw Chou, the current management under the second factory manager has worsened significantly. Operations are now poorly managed, production quotas are assigned arbitrarily, and then workers are pressured when they can't meet them. These conditions are creating constant mental stress among us. We are also required to work overtime nearly every Saturday, which has led to physical exhaustion.
The most pressing issue is the complete lack of proper representation for employees. We no longer have a reliable COC to turn to. One of the three WCC (Workplace Coordination Committee) members left some time ago, and no replacement has been selected.
The two remaining WCC members are inactive and unable to represent the concerns of the workforce. Both are clerks from the Cutting department, and because of this, employees from other departments feel uncomfortable even approaching them with complaints.
Workplace Environment and Other Issues
There are numerous underage workers at the factory, some as young as 13 to 16 years old, and we have obtained the list of these minors. To cover this up, factory management has been preparing falsified documents to inflate their ages ahead of any scrutiny.
The canteen floods whenever it rains, the drinking water has an unpleasant odor, and the toilets are unsanitary and emit foul smells. Furthermore, cleaning staff are being assigned to non-related, hazardous tasks such as feeding firewood into the boiler clearly outside of their job scope.
Discrimination and Departmental Issues
There have been incidents of demotions and discriminatory treatment without consent or justification in the Finishing department.
Intimidation of Complainants
On September 19, several workers reported these issues through Ulula, a system supported by Bestseller. However, the factory’s COC started calling out names through the office microphone, asking questions like “Who reported this?” and “Was it about child labor?” Employees were summoned individually for questioning the next day, on September 20.
These interrogations have made everyone fearful of reporting further. The trust that once existed between the workers and the factory has been destroyed.
All of these situations create a deeply unjust and hostile work environment. Factory leadership is attempting to resolve issues internally to prevent information from reaching the brands, which causes us to lose our rights and protection.
Therefore, as an organization that has always stood for Myanmar workers, we respectfully urge Myanmar Labor News to take meaningful action by raising awareness of the conditions inside GTIG HUBO Factory to employers, brands, and relevant organizations.
We are left with no option but to resign from our jobs if no action is taken.
Respectfully,
Workers from GTIG HUBO Factory
