"I haven't taken off day for a whole month even on holidays and special occasions. I have to work overtime all evening and all night. Sometimes, if we miss overtime, the super and all super (supervisors) get angry and discriminate by not calling overtime for the whole month," said the unnamed labour.
Jun Sheng Garment Co., Ltd., a garment factory located om Wet Ma Swet Assistant Street, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar, is operating with around 400 labours and the labours are appealing to give some off days as they have been working full month with no off days.
The factory is owned by Chinese nationals, manufacturing pants, shirts, and warm clothes of RESERVED QUIKSILVER, GEMO LOGOSDAYS, Pedro del Hierro ZARA etc Brands. The labours, who did not want to be named, said that they would like to ask for a day off because they have been working without a day off for a whole month.
The working hours starts at 8:00 Am and does not have specific ending time and having to work overtime for whole night and until morning.
Garment labours have to go to work from the end of the day, called all-nighters, and have to work from night to dawn, and they have to work overtime without rest the next day, causing health problems.
"I don't even have time to sleep anymore. I don't get enough sleep. My health is ruined. If I miss 1 day of work, I will be cut off my daily allowance and extra pay," said the labour.
He said that even though he was forced to work overtime, he did not receive full overtime pay in the payment of wages and was being cut off every month.
Labours are told that they will be given casual medical leave and seniority leave, but if they are sick from work and take leave, daily fee of 5,600 kyats, attendance bonus of 20,000 kyats, grade fee (20,000 kyats for A) a total of 45,600 kyats was cut.
It is said that the total of 45,600 kyats that is deducted if 1 day of work is missed is 5,600 kyats, which is the factory labours’ wages for 8 days.
He said that if there is a workplace inspection or audit, the labours are threatened to answer as they were told, and the labour who answered the truth was fired in the past.
"The manager and super-supervisor pressure labours to answer as they were told in an inspection. As they fired the labour who answered the truth before, the labours no longer dare to tell the truth. That's why the truth is hidden that workplace violations do not appear," the worker said.
Day laborers are also employed in the workplace, and if they refuse to work overtime, they are fired. He also said that if an injury occurs in the workplace, they are dismissed from work without medical treatment.
It is known that there is no labor union in the workplace, but the WCC has been formed and is selected by the employer. The labour said that there was no negotiation of any topic with the employer and coordinate the needs.
"They 10,000 each from the labours. They told us it is to prostrate the mentors in Thadingyut. In addition, they would ask more in the name to prostrate supers and all supers. We can’t refuse. They are forcing me to pay as much as they asked," the labour said.
Also, in demanding fabric standards, the fabric used changes frequently, so the requests become more and more day by day without regular fabric standards. If the labours don’t meet the record, they are forced and pressurize by the Super and all Supers. They are forced to work without taking a break and have to work free if the fabric quality drops.
The labours said that they want to appeal to the factory to avoid asking overtime unfairly. to ask the consent of the labours, to allow the labours to choose the workplace bargaining committee, to demand only a standard that labours could make, to not force overtime for free, to provide holiday benefits, to take responsibility in the event of an injury in the workplace, and to not allow the supervisors to abuse the workers and to not ask for any fees.
