By Ma Ma - Jan 16, 2025
I am a worker at Gold Emperor 1 Shoe Factory.
The factory is owned by a Chinese national and employs approximately 2,800 workers. The factory is located near the Shwe Lin Ban Fire Station on Saya Shan Road, in Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon.
Overtime hours are excessively demanded at our factory and we were not allowed to take a break during the past New Year holidays (29th, 30th, and 31st). Additionally, we have been told we must work on the upcoming Sunday, the 5th. To give another example, the entire factory was forced to work overtime last year, on Christmas Day. Sundays are also consistently treated as regular workdays. We were made to work overtime every single day of the month in November of last year.
The Chinese supervisors shout at us if workers refuse to work overtime. The line supervisors and floor supervisors also yell at us. The HR manager even forces workers to sign warning forms. Team leaders pressure us into signing by using coercive tactics although we workers say we don’t want to sign the forms related to overtime. The HR manager himself behaves hypocritically—saying one thing during staff meetings and doing another. They sides with the factory owner and allows unfair overtime demands month after month.
We have reported the matter to the labor office because of these unjust overtime demands. However, when the HR manager and the factory owner arrived, they bribed the authorities with money, and as a result, no action was taken. The authorities turned a blind eye and approved the overtime hours without taking any corrective measures.
We continue to endure these conditions because of financial struggles, but over time, our health is deteriorating.
The official working hours of the factory are from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. However, ferry buses arrive as early as 5:55 AM or 6:00 AM, so we must wake up at around 4:45 AM to catch them. What’s worse is that we are frequently forced to work overtime during holidays, which makes our lives increasingly difficult.
We are afraid to voice our concerns as we fear the team leaders. Workers who refuse to work overtime are marked and later face workplace difficulties, which forces some to resign from their jobs.
In October and November of last year, we didn’t get a single day off. None of the workers were allowed to rest during those two months.
The WCC (Workplace Coordination Committee) only side with the factory owner. The HR manager as well. There is no one to represent or support the workers.
Additionally, the team leaders keep records of us who refuse overtime, and they even lower our skill-based pay and grade bonuses.
