By Min Ni Kyaw - Sep 25, 2024
It is learnt that Prettex Myanmar garment factory workers are having difficulties due to the changes in working hours after the factory was reported for excessive overtime.
The factory changed the working hours from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm to 7:00 am – 7:00 pm. The workers explained their difficulties to the factory and they were intimidated to resign.
“Supervisors don’t consider the difficulties of workers from Mawbe, Mingalardone and Hlaing Thar Yar who arrived home late. They told that workers have to do as the office told and to resign if they can’t,” they said.
A person from helping team said that workers who arrived back home late are having electricity shortage, conscription and lack of law problems. The overtime is 3 hours every day and it is included in the new working hours.
“We are assigned to sew a new point if we went back home without working overtime. The same happen if we absent. We usually work overtime and can’t even rest somedays. They always told us to resign if we can’t. The supervisors and managers said that we have to do as they said and threatened the workers who complaint,” a worker explained.
The workers said that they are working with the difficulties as they don’t dare to complaint the supervisors.
According to the law, factory should sign employment contract with workers and hand them a copy but the workers in this factory doesn’t get and don’t even know the terms in the contract. Another worker said that day laborers are hired in the factory and workplace accidents are common.
“A day laborer was injured in their hand. They were taken to the clinic but weren’t allowed to take leave in the next day. They had to work with the bandage due to job stability concerns,” a worker explained.
Workers who take leave are warned by the supervisors in the next day and appointed to sew different garments. The HRs denied the workers’ emergency gate pass requests on the ground that supervisors don’t allow.
There are three restrooms but they are not classified with genders so workers have stress and safety concerns to use it. They are also facing workplace heat at the factory and drinking water shortage happened on some days.
Workers said that the factory call 8:00 pm overtime, mid-night overtime (12:00 am) and all-night overtime (until 4:00 am) from August to September 21. Workers who work overtime are not provided a meal and transportation is unavailable on 8:00 pm, 5:00 am overtime and on Sundays.
It is also learnt that overtime issues are reported to the Township labour office but there were no actions.
The Prettex Myanmar garment factory located at Thar Du Kan Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township. The factory is owned by a Chinese national and a fully foreign invested factory. The factory hires around 1,000 workers and manufactures Have a wonderful day and Chinese National Geography apparels.
