Myo Thein
Workers told the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) that if they go home on Saturdays without doing overtime, the Myanmar Fortress Wealth Garment Factory records it as one day of absence and pays wages for the entire week based on a daily rate of only 6,800 kyats.
“As the weekly working hours are 44 hours, they calculate our entire week’s wages at just 6,800 kyats per day if we work on Saturday only for the regular shift and go home. Not only that, if we miss even one day of work, they pay the whole week at 6,800 kyats. This is outright exploitation of our labor,” workers said.
Under Section 54 of the 1951 Factories Act, it states that no worker employed in a factory shall be required or allowed to work more than eight hours in any day. It also states that within any one week, no worker shall be required or allowed to work more than 44 hours.
Workers said the factory sets the daily wage at 11,000 kyats and the attendance bonus at 30,000 kyats, but they do not receive the leave benefits they are legally entitled to.
“We don’t get leave days or medical leave. Social security fees are deducted every month, but we can’t use medical leave. If we are absent, more than 10,000 kyats is deducted per day. Even being late by a few minutes results in deductions of over 30,000 kyats,” workers said.
Workers also said that during Thadingyut, the factory collected 10,000 kyats from each worker under the pretext of paying respect to the factory manager and management. In addition, for they collected another 3,000 kyats per worker Tazaungdaing Kathina donations.
According to workers, the factory pressures them to meet production targets that are impossible to achieve, and if targets are not met, supervisors call meetings and verbally abuse them.
“They demand targets we cannot possibly meet. For difficult items, they demand 45 pieces, and for easier ones, over 80 pieces. These are Japanese export garments. Supervisors force production lines to compete against each other, comparing line to line as if deliberately creating conflict. Lines that fail to meet targets are called into meetings and shouted at, accused of not completing the required output,” workers said.
Workers also reported that more than 200 underage workers aged 15 and 16 are employed inside the factory. Although they are made to work the same jobs as adult workers, they are not paid the same wages. Workers added that emergency medical supplies inside the factory are inadequate and that many other basic needs are not being met.
“When we get sick while working and ask for medicine at the clinic, there is never any medicine available. But the nurse will sell it to us immediately if we pay with our own money. Drinking water is not provided regularly, there are frequent water shortages, and even the dormitories have no water,” workers said.
Workers also said that a line clerk has been asking for workers’ personal information without explaining the reason, causing serious concern among workers.
“We don’t know if it’s because elections are approaching, but they are asking for personal details and home addresses without any explanation. When we ask why, they don’t answer. That’s why many of us don’t give real information. We’re worried about what will happen if these lists are sent for military conscription,” workers said.
Myanmar Fortress Wealth Garment Factory is located in Mya Sein Yaung Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon. Workers say the factory is owned by Chinese citizen. More than 1,500 workers are employed at the factory, and it is manufacturing the Sport-TKE brand.
