By  Hsu Latt Phyu - Oct 19, 2024

Workers from KBL Garment bridesmaid dress manufacturing factory which locates at Industrial Zone 1, Kyansitthar Road, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon region said that they are facing difficulties as the factory is forcing them overtime until 11:00 pm.

It is also said that there is no workplace coordination committee in the workplace. The factory is owned by a Chinese nationality and manufactures DAVIDS BRIDAL, Studio, Melissa Sweet, JULES CELO brands bridesmaid dresses.

The working hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm but overtime is from 4:30 pm to 9:00 – 11:00 pm. 

“Overtime were reduced after we complaint for calling overtime until 11:00 pm but they are doing it again. We have to sleep at the factory if we want or go back with our own plan at night. There is no place for us to sleep and we have to sleep near the machines unproperly,” a worker said.

Workers were not provided notice nor informed in advanced about the overtime but they were forced to sign agreement just before the overtime starts.

“The officials intimidate that we would not be allowed to work normal overtime for a week and fined if we tell them that we don’t want to work overtime. All workers don’t want to work overtime until 11:00 but we want to work for normal 2 hours overtime because the daily wage is not sufficient for our families’ expenses. Therefore, they intimidate us with that point,” a worker explained.

Workers were not provided transportation after the overtime and they don’t get enough sleep if they sleep in the factory due to mosquito problems and it leads them to health issues.

“We want them to have sympathy. We can’t afford anything but just social security if we got health issues for working excessive overtimes. Only some people got social security leave,” a female worker explained the difficulties.

Another difficulty of the workers are having to work until 6:30 pm on payday instead of 4:30 pm. 

“Workers who told them to let go at 4:30 pm were said that they can go back but salary will be paid on Monday and normal overtime will be forbitten for a week. The pay day was on Saturday and we also have to work overtime on Sunday. We want Sunday as holiday as we have to pay debts and transfer money to house. For now, we don’t have holidays and the working hours are until 11:00 pm. We face mosquito problems whole night and we don’t get enough sleeps. There is workplace coordination committee but they don’t do anything about labour rights and the factory only force us to sign for overtime but don’t consider any of our difficulties,” a worker said.

Workers were complaining for the violations but they were not exposed as the factory owner knows the investigation in advanced and taught workers to lie.

“The worker will be dismissed if they told the truth to the inspectors and we don’t trust the labour officers too. They can’t protect us that leads to this kind of anonymous complaint,” a worker said.

The workers’ demands for a better workplace are –

1.        To not force overtime until 9:00, 11:00 pm and to get permit from relevant departments, to allow workers to decide on consents and to provide transportation if they do

2.     To pay before 4:30 pm on pay day, to give day off on public holidays