By Ma Ma - Oct 31, 2024
Myanmar workers from Longhuan DEPlN Garment Limited, a factory located in Jianfeng City, Longchuan District, China, owned by a Chinese national, report facing reductions in their expert fees and being forced to work overtime without getting paid. The factory employs over 400 workers and manufactures allblu brand warm clothes
“We were told they would earn between 12 to 13 lakhs Myanmar kyats (about $570 to $620 USD) per month. However, once the work was begun, their pay was lower than expected. The expert fees have also been reduced; previously, workers in the A, B, and C categories received 1800, 1700, and 1600 yuan respectively. Now, those have been reduced to 1700, 1600, and 1500 yuan. The factory expects us to make excessive fabric output. There are only 35 to 37 workers per line, and each person has to complete four to five pieces. Since we’re working with warm clothing, which is thick and difficult to sew, it’s hard to meet the target. Now, they’re demanding 50 pieces per day,” said a worker.
Working hours at the factory is from 8 AM to 11 PM, and the workers are also called mid-night and all-night overtimes. Additionally, the factory does not grant workers any leave, and those who wish to return to Myanmar are denied permission with various reasons.
“We’re forced to work extra hours on weekends and Sundays without pay if we don’t meet the output demands. We’re doing a lot of overtime, but we’re not getting paid. This constant overtime is also affecting our health. Many workers now want to return to Myanmar, but the factory demands us to pay the transportation costs they covered for us to come to China. They won’t let us go easily and keep finding excuses to delay our return,” another worker stated.
Myanmar workers at Longhuan DEPlN Garment Limited have reached out to the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) for assistance, hoping that the organization can help address these workplace grievances. The factory reportedly lacks a union or any formal support structure for workers.
The workers have outlined their demands which includes restoration of the original expert fees, to end forced, unpaid overtime without their consent and reasonable output demands
