By Min Ni Kyaw - Jan 03, 2024
The workers said that they prohibit as they saw Full Way Myanmar Garment factory officials moving the sewing machines without informing them while the factory was closed. They said that they found out on today, January 1.
“Workers nearby informed us that the factory was preparing to move sewing machines around 1 p.m. We went there and saw that 5 machines were installed. We also saw the factory manager. We said that we would not accept the move without notice to us and without us. Now the sewing machines have been put back,” a worker said.
The factory manager said that the owner of the factory was transporting the sewing machines to another factory for rent, but the workers said that they did not accept the transportation of the sewing machines as they did not trust them.
"The factory is closed down and the machines are being carried out. They should have told us before the factory was closed. We can no longer trust the owner of the factory. The machines are canceled before too. This is the last batch. Previously, there were 15 machine lines. From there, it has decreased, and now there are only 4 lines left," the workers said.
For that matter, the factory manager told them to meet on January 5th, and the workers they will seek legal actions if they continue transporting the sewing machines. Workers said they were told on December 10 through the supervisors that the factory would be closed for 10 days, and that some rights would be cut.
"They will close for 10 days, saying that there is no order. They will give a daily wage and said that they will cut the attendance bonus and professional fee. We ask for the right as it is a need from the factory. If we absent, they are cutting everything. They cut the daily fee of ten thousand kyats for the day offs. We asked not to cut the professional fee, but we didn't get a specific answer," the workers said.
As the manager replied that the employer did not accept the workers' request, they negotiated until 3:00 p.m., and the manager told them that they would go to the labor office and ask for professional fees, so the workers went home that day.
Since before the Full Way Myanmar garment factory was closed for ten days, the workers were not allowed to take leave and 4,800 kyats of daily wages and attendance bonus of 10,000 kyats; a total of 14,800 kyats are cut for missing a day as well as the expert level. The workers also said that the supers yell them if they did not get the targets they requested in the workplace.
The workers of the factory have demanded that to act in accordance with the law if the factory is closed down and not to take out the machines inside the factory during the closed days.
The Full Way Myanmar garment factory is located in Min Aya Road, Shwe Than Lwin Industrial Zone 2, Hlaing Thar Township, Yangon. The workers said that it is owned by a Chinese national and is sewing denim through another factory on Minera Road. It is known that a WCC group has been formed at the factory and currently around 200 workers are working at the factory.
