By Hsu Latt Phyu - Mar 27, 2024

Myanto Industrial CO.Ltd  workers said that they are pressurized in the workplace everyday by being assigned to impossible fabric outputs and verbally abused to resign if they can’t finish. The workers said that it is emotional abuse to them.

The factory is owned by a Chinese national and operating with more than 600 workers at the Mya Khatter Street, Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon region and manufacturing October brand pants. The factory does not have a trade union or workplace coordination committee.

“We are not entitled to benefits and leaves. Daily wages 5,800 kyats and attendance bonus 20,000 kyats are cut for taking a leave including the expert fees. We even have to work sick as they don’t give gate pass to go to a clinic if we feel unwell while working,” the workers said,

The workers said that not giving legal leaves and emergency healthcare assessment that every workers are entitled to is a labor right violation.

Unfair fabric outputs such as 30 fabrics per hour are asked from a cavity with around 30 to 40 workers.

“The lines that sew shirts have to give 40 fabrics per hour and they don’t count the absent workers in the cavity. How can we finish if the workforce and the workloads are not balance. Some fabrics are difficult to sew. The all super and the Chinese manager woman verbally abuse as and told us to leave if we can’t finish. The all super of line 5, 7 and 8 told us to work at entertainment works if we can’t finish those fabrics. It is emotionally abusing on the workers,” a worker said.

The workers said although they are emotionally abused and feeling inconsequential due to their livelihoods. They don’t have a guaranteed employment and they can be dismissed at any time too.

“They force us to work on 31^st March as a substitute day for 12^th April (Thingyan Holiday). We can’t rest on Sunday for that. They said that they will not give for 10 holidays if we came back to work late even a day. The employer never negotiate with the workers on their decisions,” said the worker.

The workers said that they want to request to resolve the followings:

1.      To give them legal leaves

2.      To provide sufficient transportation

3.      The Chinese all super not to verbally abuse the workers

4.      To call meeting during working hours

5.      The all supers and supers not to pressure and emotionally abuse the workers

6.      To assign only possible fabric outputs and not to count the absent workers

7.      Not to dismiss day laborers without them doing any mistakes.