By Yoon Satt - Feb 06, 2024

The workers from Asdet garment factory which locates at Yaw Atwin Wun U Phoe Hlaing Street, Shwe Libn Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar yar Township said that the supervisors (all supers and supers) are intimidating them to work overtime and day laborers don’t get paid for the overtime.

Around 600 workers are working at Asdet garment factory and manufacturing CHANG, esmaes (LIDL), Footmeak brands shirts and female under wears. The factory is owned by a Chinese national and there is no trade union.

“The officials are turning a blind eye for what is happening in this factory. Day laborers are not get paid for overtime,” said the workers.

The workers said that the working hours of the factory are from 7:00 to 18:00 and they are forced to work all evening and all night overtimes on Saturdays and also on Sundays. Furthermore, the supervisors said not to come to the work if they don’t want to work overtime and verbally abuse them for moving somewhere in the workplace.

The workers are forced to work all night overtimes on 24,25,26 January and didn’t get a proper space to sleep. They reported to the office of labor office as they recircuit to work on the next morning. The factory let them go back when the officials came to the factory.

But they are verbally abused the next day for the case and intimidated that the one who reported would be fired. The manager Daw Ei Ei Phyu investigated the workers individually and the workers said they were just working overtime as they afraid.

Although they had to work until midnight 12 o’clock in 15^th and 16^th January, they also had to work on 27^th and 28^th which is an off day as the labor office officials didn’t come to inspect.

The workers refused the overtime as they can’t work anymore but the supervisors intimidate them and the labor office officials didn’t come to inspect anymore no matter how much they reported.

The workers address their difficulties that they are very tired, not have time to cook and rest and the factory’s meal are not comfortable for them and inconvenience upon being intimidated of firing.

The salary voucher only shows the overtime until 20:15 but the all night, all light, public holidays and Sundays’s overtime wages are hided after paying at next day.

The factory does not accept to negotiate the workplace disputes regarding the illegal overtime such as all evening and all night overtimes except telling the WCC team to sign agreement letter for what the factory side did.

The workers said that they want the labor office officials to resolve the Asdet garment factory’s labor right abuses with sympathy.