By Min Ni Kyaw - Aug 21, 2024
Workers from SQI Star Co.,Ltd garment factory which locates at Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone said that they are being pressurized to work without a day of. Workers said they don’t get a full break time before and after the lunch.
“We start working at 8:00 a.m. and the transportation bus arrive 15 minutes before. We don’t have time to eat breakfast. Some times we are morally downgraded. The meeting is held 15 minutes before the work. And we have to go back to work 5 minutes earlier in lunch time,” the worker said.
Workers said that the HR manager is verbally abusing them and they are having health issues due to not having enough break time.
“A female worker from the production line fainted due to low blood pressure recently and another one got gastritis as well. These things happen due to not able to have breakfast in the morning. Both happened in the morning,” a worker stated.
The workers are not able to go back to home for health reasons and their benefits are cut for taking leave although they were working overtime every day.
“We don’t get gate pass on Mondays no matter what happened. Although we get leave or not it is labeled as absent and daily wages, attendance bonus and grade bonuses are cut. We were cut for around 80,000 kyats for a day of absent.
The nurse of the factory is serving in the office works and can’t take care of the workers health. The factory stipulate tight rules and often illegally dismiss the workers with malice.
“The time we can use restroom is restricted. We are forced to come early to work and have to sign a warning for forgetting our food carrier. Some workers are dismissed for forgetting employer card,” a worker explained.
Workers are working overtime until 7:30 p.m. every night and have to work continuously since the lunch time and effecting their health in bad ways.
“The factory doesn’t provide any food for overtime. Workers who have gastritis have so much difficulty. Workers are not dare to complaint due to having to sign warning,” they said.
According to the workers, there is no Workplace Coordination Committee in the factory to address the workers difficulties. The factory is owned by a Chinese national and manufacturing Japan ordered shirts.
The SQI factory have been operating for more than a year and locates near 199 bus stop, Shwe Pyi Thar Bridge, Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone.
