By Min Ni Kyaw - Jul 29, 2024
Workers of WHN Myanmar garment factory from Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone 2 said that the factory called overtime on every Sunday in July although they worked overtime every day.
“We work every Sundays in July. We work mid-night overtime once in two days. They give 2 substitute day offs. They call overtime on the grounds that important orders and they intimidate us if we don’t work,” a worker said. There were 6 holidays for workers in July including 2 public holidays and 4 Sundays but the factory only gives 2 substitute day offs for the public holidays and Sundays each; a total of 4 days.
“We don’ rest a day on Sunday. We worked on Sundays as substitute. We only get paid overtime fees on 7th and 21st of July. Sundays are always day off. We have to do house works and health care issues. We can’t take care of family matter or visit the doctor as we worked on Sunday,” the WHN Myanmar’s workers said.
The workers’ social and health issues suffer as the factory calls on day offs. And they said that they worked mid-night overtimes once in 2 days as well.
“Workers from production lines that handle big points are called mid-night overtime once in 2 days. We can’t refuse for overtime. They summon us to office if we do. The supervisors intimidate us that the grade bonus will be reduced and attendance bonus will be cut if we don’t work overtime,” the worker said.
Workers said the reason they work that much is because their entitlements are 50,000 – 100,000 expert fees and 50,000 attendance bonus which they can use for their health issues. The factory’s transportation buses only pick them up at 4:00 a.m. when they work mid-night overtimes.
“The lights were off after mid-night overtime. We have to sleep improperly with mosquitos in the factory. The transportation bus came at 4:00 a.m. There is no time for us to sleep as we have to prepare for breakfast and to go back to work at 8:00 a.m.,” workers said.
Workers also have to work continuously since after lunch to 7:30 p.m. which means they are working continuously for 7 hours. The workers also have to use damaged and unclean toilets.
The labor officers came to inspect the WHM Myanmar factory in May and the toilets were cleaned just for a day but went back to normal since than and until now. It is also leant that overtime on Sundays started after that inspection.
According to the latest information Myanmar Labour News has received, the factory is owned by a Chinese national and locates at Sayar San Road, Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone 2, Yangon. The factory hires more than 300 workers and manufacturing Italy based brand OVS and Poland based brand House (Sinsay).
