By Hsu Latt Phyu - Dec 16, 2023
More than 100 workers at the HONE KONG ENTERPRIST vermicelli factory are working without benefits and the workers said that they want to ask for safety measures and health measures to be implemented.
The factory, which was opened on MinDhtathi Kyawswar Road, Township Industrial Zone 1, Hlaing Thar Yar is owned by Burmese national, and the workers say that they are facing difficulties because they do not have rights under the labor law.
It is reported that there is no trade union to deal with matters related to the employer and worker in the workplace, and there is no workplace coordination committee WCC.
"We don’t get casual leave, medical leave that every worker is entitled to. 4,800 kyats of daily wages and 10,000 kyats of attendance bonus are cut for taking a leave for sick. As there is no overtime, it is a huge loss for us even if we miss one day," the worker said.
Although workers have to pay social security contributions every month, they are not entitled to benefits such as medical leave and do not get a social security card. The worker, who had two fingers amputated due to an occupational injury last October, said he did not receive these social security benefits.
"The employer is not even willing to take responsibility for a worker who got an accident with a machine while working and had two fingers amputated. The worker is not entitled to the benefits of social security contributions. Although the worker refuses to go back to work as he was not fully recovered, we all know that he was forced to go back to work," said a worker from the workplace.
The workers said that the benefits of the labor law, which every worker is entitled to, are being violated. They also said that even though they are forcing children under the age of 18 to work, they hide them when the inspection comes and don’t take responsibilities
The workers from the vermicelli factory said that they want the employer to provide workers with the right to leave and social security benefits, to take responsible for any harm caused while working in the workplace, to provide a convenient dinning place, clean toilets and ferries.
