By Yoon Sat - Sep 07, 2024
Workers from Tai Hong Garment factory which locates at Myaytaing 49 street, Watayar Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township reports their damages due to being exploited, asked for excessive outputs, forced overtime recruitment and not allowed to take legal leaves,
“The nurse at the dispensary is just cosmetics. They don’t provide us sufficient medicine. Most medicines we need is not there except during inspection. Only the workers for cutting department are given electrolyte drinks. The other workers don’t get it even if they have a headache after over sweating. Medicines are not given after 2:00 p.m. Workers have difficulties at that time as the factory keep that rule. We have to buy our own medicines,” said a worker.
A worker said that overtime is not surveyed and transportations are not provided on public holidays. The supervisors are verbally abusing the workers to get the fabric outputs demanded by the employer.
“They use curse words. The supervisors are rude and the foreigner experts also physically assault us. The pregnant workers are also asked the same outputs as others. We are working without a break,” said a worker.
“We have to buy the damaged or lost items such as labels or buttons with our own money if the orders are nearly finished,” said a worker,
It is reported that the factory doesn’t follow the rules in the employment contract and cutting wages.
“The current difficulties are not letting us keep the employment contract and workplace coordination committee that represents the workers. The restrooms are gender natural and unsanitary. The drinking water and the tap is also not purified. The medicines are not sufficiently provided and time limited. The workers are not surveyed but forced to work overtime. The supervisors verbally abuse the workers for not getting fabric outputs,” said a worker from the factory.
The factory lets the workers sign in employment contract but there is no signature and badge from the Department of Labour and the department the workers are working,” a worker said.
More than half of 1,000 workers are day laborers and get paid only 5,000 kyats daily wages, 1,000 kyats per hour of overtime; a total of 8,000 kyats only for 11 working hours but assigned the same tasks as the permanent stuffs.
“Day laborers are dismissed without any credentials. We want all workers who do the same amount of work to get paid equally,” said a worker.
Workers also address the difficulties including not having legal leaves, cut for taking medical leaves and transferred to non-native departments.
“Pregnant workers don’t get the benefits they are entitled to. 1 hour of gate pass is cut for 2 hour of overtime fees. We are also labeled as absent and it makes us suffer,” they said.
It is known that the factory is operating with more than 1,000 workers and manufacturing EVERLAST/DIEM brand apparels. The factory although operating for around 10 years but doesn’t have a trade union. The workplace coordination committee can’t address the workplace disputes and the workers’ difficulties.
