By Hsu Latt Phyu - Nov 16, 2023

The workers of the Nine Tripod Kyotin glass and aluminum installation and trading which resides in U Myae Street Industrial zone (4), Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon said that the resolution by the Labor Office on the dispute between the employer and the laborer was not fair. The workers said that they wanted to get their 3 years of seniority and the additional allowances specified by the Ministry of Labor.

It is reported that the company is owned by a Chinese national and imports aluminum products from China and installs them and sells them in Myanmar.

There are 25 workers, and both the labor union and workplace coordination committee has been formed.

The worker said that since it has been almost 8 years since the workers have not been given seniority leave in the workplace, they asked to be recalculated with a back date, and since the employer did not resolve it, they complained to the Department of Workshop and Labor Inspection.

"What the workers really want is that they want their seniority to be counted for 3 years. But the head office decided to give them only a year and said that they can go to the court and ask for it if they want for 3 years. The workers only get paid for 1 year and instead of 8,000, the employer gave them 4,800 for only 2,022. We’re not satisfied with that, and if the casual leave and seniority is over 16 days, the supervisor advises the employer that the workers calculate with their daily wages and return to the employer," said the worker.

The worker said that workers who miss work without leave will be cut off to the lack of leave benefits in the workplace and they are not satisfied now as they even asked by the employer to refund the money for now.

"As advised by the supervisor's office, the employer is trying to ask refund from the workers who have taken a total of more than 16 days of leave and seniority. The days of absence because of this dispute are also considered as absents. If it is for the workers' benefits, they resolved by even reducing the existing ones," said the unsatisfied worker.

The workers also report more issues to the labor office such as the manager using slanders against them, forces them to work at other departments and other jobs instead of according to the employment contract, and that the employer did not solve the issues, such as calculating an additional allowance of 1,000 kyats.

“ How did the director of the Department of Labor resolve the issue of increasing the additional allowance was he told the employer to standardize with the increase of the allowance from 10,000 to 40,000 in 2020. He instructed the employer to fill the ones who aren’t get full and to split the surplus," the worker explained.

When the workers were not satisfied with this solution, they asked in writing to the director of the labor department, the director said "You can report to anywhere you like, I have 38 years of service and I will get a pension even if I lost my job," he replied by phone.

"The allowance given in 2020 was given with an agreement that all benefits would be terminated after 5 days of absence from work. it is not related to the additional allowance given by the ministry now at all," the worker explained.

As workers, they want to get their seniority leaves fairly and the payment of additional allowances issued by the ministry.