By Hsu Latt Phyu - Sep 10, 2024
He MeT Company Limited garment factory workers said that more than 1,000 workers who work from 7:00 am to 12:00 am for June and July were not get paid overtime fees.
Workers explained the inconveniences about not having sufficient and proper dinning places, pregnant workers being forced the same as other workers, had to resigned due to not getting maternal leaves and not having safety measures. They are hoping that the officials bring changes to the workplace.
The factory is located at Twin Thin Tike Wun U Htun Nyo Street, next to electricity office, alal village, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon region and owned by a Chinese national. More than 1,000 workers are working in the factory but all of them are hired permanently only after working for more than 6 months.
It is known that the factory doesn’t has a trade union. The brands manufacturing are everme and MAKE TODAY AMAZING.
“All workers are acknowledged as day laborers. Workers who don’t have 6 months of service yet don’t get paid overtime fees although they work from 12:00 am to 7:00 pm. Young workers around 13, 14 and 15 years old are also hired. They are assigned as helpers and seamstresses and forced the same as adults. They need to give the same fabric outputs as adults. But they don’t get paid the same. The factory is exploiting on child workers,” said a worker who is working in the factory.
Workers said the inspectors never visited the workplace but only meet with the manager. “There are no changes even if the inspectors visit. The situations just got worse,” they said.
Workers are not allowed to take legal leaves such as casual leave and medical leave. A worker is cut daily wages 5,800 kyats, subsidy 1,000 kyats, attendance bonus 10,000 kyats and grade bonus depending on level 6,000 kyats for A, 5,000 kyats for B and 4,000 kyats for C.
“We don’t get leave whether it is health issue or emergency issue. We are cut many wages. We are cut 1,000 kyats per hour for taking gate pass to visit the doctor. There is no health care provision so we have to take care of ourselves,” said a female worker.
The working hours are from 7:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 12:30 pm to 6:00 am. Workers worked overtime until 12:00 am in last two months but not get paid for their labours yet.
“We work overtime until 12:00 am for June and July. The overtime fees are not given. They said fabric bonus will be given but it’s a lie used not to give overtime fees. Workers know this but continue working as we don’t dare to complaint. A seamstresses get paid 50,000 kyats maximum for fabric fee.
Workers are seeking resolvent upon being exploited on their labour for two months overtime.
“Supervisors get 10 lakhs and leaders get 3 lakhs for meeting the employer’s demands. A supervisor’s salary is 8 lakhs and get paid another 8 lakhs for meeting the demands and another 8 lakhs for meeting the double of demands. Supervisors and leaders only care to get paid more so they force and pressurize the workers and thousands of workers are suffering,” said a worker.
Workers said that a production line with 50 workers are asked 50 fabric per hour for each worker and workers who handle 2 points are asked 100 fabrics.
“The supervisors verbally abuse us if we can’t finish but the salary were given only on 7th day of the month,” said a worker.
Workers said they have to arrive at 7:00 am to work although the working hours start at 7:30 and the transportation bus arrived late in the evening after they finished the work. Workers are seeking changes from these problems.
Workers who request to rest in the factory for health issues are dismissed by supervisors by being accused of sleeping. Supervisors is not the one who is legit to dismiss the workers but these cases occurred frequently.
Each worker is cut 10,000 kyats and the fabric fees of the resigned workers are also cut as well. “The exploited amount of fee is huge as they are many people who absent or resigned. The workers don’t dare to complaint the rude and aggressive supervisors,” they said.
The workers demands are
1. To not assign the same tasks to child laborers and adults
2. To allow legal leaves
3. To allow maternal leave for pregnant workers and not to dismiss
4. To eliminate the supervisors’ verbal abuses
5. To not exploited from workers’ bonus
6. To appoint workers who have worked for 3 months as permanent workers
7. To apply transportation on time
8. To pay the wages on 5th day of the month
9. To pay the overtime wages for 2 months where they worked until 12:00 am
