By Ma Ma - Oct 01, 2024
Workers from Myanmar Zhi Xin Garment Co.Ltd said that the factory is violating the labour laws and they are being threatened to be sued if they complaint.
The factory is owned by a South Korean national and located at Papae Gaung Maung Khet Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Township and manufacturing Jackfield Original, CUTTER&BUCK, ODV and Jack Field brand apprals with more than 1,200 workers.
“They dismissed without moral and legal reasons. The working hours are from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm but we have to work overtime until 9:00 pm. The expert fees are cut if we don’t work overtime. We don’t get day off on Sundays. We get paid 1,000 kyats subsidy more but the other expert fees are cut. A2+ expert level workers get paid 180,000 kyats before but only get paid 120,000 kyats for now as the subsidy is raised 1,000 kyats. They said we can leave if we are not satisfied with the decision. In addition, we don’t also get legal leaves here,” said a factory worker.
More than 100 day laborers are hired and they are not appointed as permanent stuffs even after working for 3 months. They are working 10 hours a day but get paid only 8,000 kyats per day and only 6,000 kyats on Saturday. They don’t get paid for Sunday day off.
There is a work place coordination committee in the workplace but failed to protect the workers from manager’s verbal abuses. The factory threatened that those who complaint regarding those issues will be sued.
“A production line was transferred to the upper floor today. The leader informed the manager Daw Thandar Aung about the workplace odors but they verbally abused us and dismissed that line leader. The employer illegally dismissed workers whom are not confident with them. The manager and Chinese interpreters are the ones who verbally abuse us. A whole production line demanded for resolvent by stop working after their leader was dismissed without committing any mistakes,” said a worker.
Workers from Myanmar Zhi Xin Garment co.ltd are hoping to get legal labour rights, to not cut the current wages to get paid 1,000 kyats subsidy more, to not dismissed illegally, to give day offs on Sundays, the manager to not verbally abuse, to appoint day laborers with more than 3 months of service as permanent stuffs and to give full wages to day laborers.
