By Hsu Latt Phyu - Jul 17, 2024
Workers from De Xin Myanmar Garment factory which located at No. (365B), Thein Chaung Street, War Ta Yar Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon Region said that they are facing difficulties as the factory is calling excessive overtime and violating their labor rights.
There are around 500 workers in the factory but there is no trade union and workplace coordination committee in the factory. The manufacturing brands are Prenatal, SOULCAL & CO, VOYAGER and the factory has been operating more than 2 years.
The working hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. including 2 hours of overtime.
“Working hours are from 10 hours including 2 hours of overtime in some weeks and it is extended in some weeks. We usually work overtime from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Those overtimes are mandatory it is not called by asking our consents. The grade bonus are reduced if we don’t work overtime. Therefore, the workers are working the overtime due to their livelihoods,” a worker explained.
The wages are 4,800 + 1,000 kyats per day, 50,000 kyats attendance bonus, 30,000 kyats allowance and grade bonus from 35,000 to 65,000 kyats. The grade bonus is determined only after working for 3 months.
Although wages are set like that workers are cut for daily wages, 25,000 kyats attendance bonus and grade bonus 35,000 are cut for a day of absent for any reasons as they are not allowed to take leaves. Attendance bonus is cut by 50,000 kyats if they are absent for two days.
“Workers are not entitled to take leaves for health and social issues. They said we can’t submit for leave because we don’t have EC contracts. But those with EC contract aren’t allowed to take leave as well. We only get unpaid leave,” a worker said.
Workers are contributing in the social security since working there but their social security payments are exploited when they issue the social security cards with the manager by setting the dates to the date when they started to pay social security instead of the date they are hired.
Workers also said that there is no medic-clinic in the factory, the toilets are not clean, no safety measures and dining room difficulties. Managers, who did not speak the same language are verbally abusing the workers in Chinese language and physically raging towards them to assign workloads.
Therefore, workers are seeking resolvents regarding the workplace violations. The workers said they want the factory to
1. To allow leave if workers ask for
2. Not to cut for taking leave
3. Not to cut grade bonus for taking unpaid leave
4. To prioritize safety measures and to provide medic-clinic and lounge
6. To provide a dining room and with sufficient dining tables and chairs
5. To ask for the workers consents to call overtime and to not reduce the grade levels of those who don’t work
6. The Chinese nationals to not directly manage
