By Hsu Latt Phyu - Sep 30, 2024
Myanmar migrant workers who are working at Chinese national owned EST GARMENT (LAOS) CO.LTD garment factory at 3 Kan area, Vientiane, Laos said that the factory asks for excessive fabric outputs and supervisors are the threating them to be physically violated and cut if they can’t finish the outputs and the salaries are not paid as advertised. Some workers also resigned by paying the compensation due to labour right violations.
The factory hires more than 400 and manufactures TCHIBO CERTIFIED MERCHANDISE brand apparels. According to the workers there are no trade union in the factory.
The factory advertised Myanmar migrant workers that they will get paid from 220 – 250 USD per month but in reality, they don’t get paid that much while working from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.
“They advertised that we will get paid 220 – 250 USD but we don’t actually get paid,” said worker.
A production line with 18 workers are asked for 1,400 garment unit outputs per day.
“The supervisors especially the all super of line 15 threaten us that we will be physically assaulted and would not get paid if we don’t work overtime. We have to work free overtime on Sunday to finish the output demands. The supervisors are Myanmar nationals and they pressurize us so much,” said a worker.
Workers said that there is no expert fees in the factory and they are given in fixed wages but the salary varies from one month to other.
“The working hours are excessive. We only get 11 lakhs maximum. We don’t get paid daily wages if we don’t finish the daily demands. And salary is cut at the end of the month by saying that we failed to reach the target. No matter how hard we try, it just can’t finish,” said a Myanmar garment worker.
Workers are allowed to drink only a little water and Myanmar nationals are only allowed to drink hot water to not rapidly go to toilet.
“Only Laotians are allowed to drink cool water and Myanmar nationals have to drink hot water. The mobile phones are confiscated during working hours. A worker asked for break time to talk and heal due after their father passed away but they are no allowed to take until evening. There is no labour rights here,” a worker said.
Workers explained that there are some workers who resigned by paying the compensation due to discrimination and excessive fabric demands. Only those who can’t afford compensation are continuing to work and workers seek help from Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar – IWFM.
“An audit will come to the factory this month and we are taught to tell them that we get paid 240 USD per month. This factory have a sub-factory in Myanmar called BEST WIN which located at Shwe Pyi Thar Township.
The migrant workers working are seeking for resolvent and their demands are –
1. To pay salary as advertised
2. To ask only for possible fabric outputs
3. To not recruit overtime without paying
4. The line 16 all super to not threatens the workers with physical assault and cutting the wages
5. To not discriminate the Myanmar workers for drinking water.
