By Yoon Satt - Nov 27, 2023
According to workers at the TIAN YU shoe factory in Monastery Street, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township the workers are being unfairly called for overtime even without getting a day off.
"There are about three thousand workers in the two factories. Everything is the same, even the senior workers are under pressure, so no one dares to say anything. We don't get off on holidays. All way. We had to go down until 7:30 at night. We didn't get a day off in the whole last month. We only had one Sunday off in the last pay week. We have to work every day until 7:30 pm. We can't take a break as we have to work overtime continuously and we don't have a day off. We can take a break if only we have serious health issues and prescription."
In addition, even though they are called for overtime until there is no rest day in the whole month, they are not easily given leave, even if they take leave for health reasons, but only to the point if their health deteriorates and suffer from excruciating pain and have a prescription. It is said that workers want to be able to take a legal day off, and want to be easily given leave if they take medical leave.
"It's not easy to get leave. The Chinese himself told it. Chinese direct rule here. Daily fee is 5800 and overtime fee is 1400. The main thing is that we want to have a day off on every official public holiday. Now, if we have to work on the full moon day, we don't get paid for daily wage but just overtime. We also have to work on the weekend as they called us. We are tired from working continuously every week. They only allow us a leave if only we are unable to stand, sit down, and suffering from health problems in front of them. Mainly, we want to off on day off and want to take leave easily. As per their rough words, it means we can only leave dead but not alive,” she said.
The factory calls for overtime on Saturdays to get a day off on Sundays, but on also on Sundays the workers do have to work overtime, and on other public holidays too but only overtime fees are calculated and not the daily wages. Only 28 or 29 days of daily wages are calculated on giving salary and the workers have to work overtime regardless of their desire as they hold grudges on those who don’t.
“They told that Sunday will be off after the afternoon if we work on Saturday but in reality they don’t do it. They also told that they will substitute for the Saturday but they don’t. We have to work on full moon day o f Kasone too. Even on the national day, if it is not colliding with Sunday only overtime fee is given. They should give the daily wages too but they don’t. They told that they don’t care about anywhere we report. Those who complain about such cases in the workplace are held grudges and make them feel uncomfortable so that to resign themselves. So, the workers don’t. Those who don’t come to overtime on off days are taken photos and intimidated.
It is also known that the factory is a Chinese-owned factory, with about three thousand workers manufacturing H&M shoes, and the workers are also directly managed by Chinese people. According to the workers, although there is no trade union at the factory, the WCC is formed and there is no coordination for the sake of the workers.
