According to the labours, the all supers at the TONG YING HK (Garment) factory, where the H&M brand is manufactured, are acting in a dictatorial manner, to the point of firing their subordinates over their rights.
It is open to the international community that a dictator is an organization that controls the powers of the state.
Not allowed leaves
A worker in TONG YING HK (Garment) said that even though they take leave for health issues, they are being considered absent.
"I was sick, so I asked to the all super myself for leave by phone. In addition, I reported through colleges the factory. But it is shown as A (Absence) by the all super. When I went to ask why they showed A although I reported, they replied just to talk with the all super," said a labour who was labeled as absent.
The factory officials did not pay attention to what the labours explained. The labours said that they are only processing the report of the super and all super (supervisor). The labours added that if they complain about the leave, they were told that they must report to Super and All Super, so they have notified both of them about the leave but they have not received the leave yet.
"They say don't come starting next day, if we asked to leave from the workplace due to serious ill conditions. So, the sick person has to work until faint. Even if I asked for permission to leave because I was really sick, they labeled me A(Absent) with the reasons of there were too many clothes. They also said at the meeting that no will be allowed to take leave,” he said.
More than 90 percent of labours in Myanmar's garment sector are female and the labours said that the health conditions of women garment labours are challenging because of the lack of health care in the country, having to stand full-time during work hours and full-time siting.
Discriminations of the TONG YING HK Garment all supers
labours at the factory say that the factory said that they treat all labours equally upon leave, but discrimination still exists.
“All supers’ little sister took a leave for a week for sick. They are giving leaves to those who are confident with them although they are saying we don’t discriminate. It’s not they don’t grant leaves; they give to whoever they want.
There are 21 cavities in TONG YING HK (Garment) factory, each machine line has supers, and 5 a all super appointed for 5 cavities.
How much it suffers to be labeled as absent although report for leave
Garment workers at TONG YING HK say that they will no longer receive, the clothing bonus given for working for a whole month, attendance bonus and annuity if A is labeled.
"If A is labeled, all rights will be lost. Even if it doesn't suffer at least, we won’t get at least 50,000 for that month. They labeled me A for taking a leave due to my family obituary. The salary that month was only 230,000 MMK. Regular labours earned about 360,000 MMK. Then you can know how much the wages differ from missing just a day," the labour told Myanmar Labour News.
Annuity is not a bonus, but a seniority leave
A senior labour at the TONG YING HK Garment Factory explained that the cut 48,000 MMK of absent labeled although report for leave equal for 10 days of seniority leave.
"That 48,000 MMK is paid for seniority leave. As soon as A was exposed, the 48,000 was no longer available. We are gating hated by supers and all supers for the causal leave. If I set it as A, we would suffer until the end of the year. If legal leaves are granted, there can be no such damages," she continued.
Myanmar’s labor laws include casual leave, seniority leave and medical leave are prescribed. It is stipulated that 6 days of casual leave, 10 days of seniority leave and 30 days of medical leave must be given to a labour. After completing one year work, the labour will get 10 days of leave, and if they don't take it, they can negotiate with the factory to get wages for those days.
TONG YING HK garment workers cut wages without permission, which is the right of workers, and such cuts are clearly illegal.
The tyrant all super fired a labour for missing two days of work
Factory workers at TONG YING HK Garment factory say that the cavity all supers does not allow them to take a leave, and if they do not come to work for two days for any reason, they were even fired.
"They said that we would be fired, if we miss two days of leave. I was lucky enough to get a day for leave but when I ask leave for another day as I am not fully recovered, they said not to come back, resign and reapplied,” said a labour who encountered it.
Labours who don’t get leave are fired directly by all supers, and not allowed to report to factory officials to submit their resignations themselves.
“A lady took a leave as she needs indeed. She reported very well but on the second day she was told that she was fired and not to come back. Her resignation letter is also submitted by the all super. She just needs to come and take the wages. As they don’t allow her to come to work, she was not able to explain about the issues nor submit herself,” a TONG YING HK garment worker told Myanmar Labour News.
As the factory officials accept everything that the supers and all supers say, the labours’ rights are being violated more and they are experiencing more difficulties at work. The labours also said that there is average 2 to 3 labours who are fired every month because of absence from work.
"The workers are very afraid as the all supers using the term firing frequently. A labor from outside of Yangon want to go back to hometown as their parents are sick. They said angrily that they would leave if they don’t get a leave, and the all supers told them to leave immediately. That's how unruly they are,” the labours said.
The labours also said that the all supers at the factory are doing whatever they want on the subordinates but they could not say anything despite their grievances due to threats of dismissal.
WCC members are elected
At TONG YING HK (Garment) factory, despite the formation of WCC, the labours said that they did not get any effective solutions. In addition to this, they did not know who the member was, and during the election, they chose according to the instructions of a security member.
"WCC is formed by their favor. It can't help us effectively. During the election, a security guy is guiding us whom to vote," said a worker who voted.
The labours told Myanmar Labour News that TONG YING HK(Garment) locates in Myaung Takar (Pha Ye Khin) Industrial Zone, Mawbe Township, Yangon district and have been manufacturing the H&M brand for several years with a workforce of around 5,000 labours
