#Letter
We would like to ask for help.
Around 600-700 workers suffered from laid off at MRTV 4 (Forever Group) media company. The headquarter locates on Pyay Road, in front of Kamayut University TTC school. They also locates at North Dagon Township, Wandameya and Pindaya. Around 800 workers were working at more than 60 departments.
Around 200-300 workers were laid off in May 2024 and their legal compensations are paid separately 3 or 4 times according to their seniority.
The other workers were laid off on 2nd and 3rd July. About 300-400 in quantity. Some departments doesn’t have workers any more but only around 3 people including supervisors. The laid off workers had to sign. There are workers from remote townships in laid off list.
They told us to sign as that the compensation will be paid monthly and it is labeled as charity in the contract. I think the company breaks the law that states that compensation should be paid all at once. Media production stuffs are not easy to shift careers quickly and there are lack of employments during this political crisis. Therefore, we seek legal process regarding laid off.
The wages and the charity fees are delayed nearly every month. September wages will be get paid on October 15th. They said employees were not permanently dismissed. They can come and work if there are certain tasks like day workers. The daily wages will be calculated by dividing the last salary with 30. Its workers’ choice to work or not.
Its like we are laid off permanently. Employee cards are taken back. They are still disrespecting the stuffs by not having transparency on the remaining wages and delays.
MRTV 4 covers more than 80 percents of Myanmar’s advertisement. We heard in some events that the profit was in millions of dollars before covid pandemic and coup. Some workers who were laid off during covid are not officially laid off, explained and get paid. Other workers know that they were laid off.
They intimidate us by saying that they are close to the ministry of labour and director team is comfortable with the central government (Nay Pyi Daw).
Stuffs were not paid since Covid pandemic (2020) until 2022. The company summons those who are need and only them get paid. There are stuffs who were dismissed since then. The company rehired the stuffs in 2022 and transferred to new departments without asking workers’ consents or testing their proficiency. Most workers resign after depression due to workplace inconveniences.
We want them to take responsibility and accountability as they are working with world-wide famous companies. We sees as a disrespectful behavior against the workers for not renewing the employment contract since 2019 and label the compensation as charity fees.
They don’t give us notice in accordance with the law. Workers can’t demand anything due to current situations but we want justice.
