By Hsu Latt Phyu - Jan 16, 2025
Workers from Korean national-owned SHINSUNG 6 Garment said that the factory is demanding production targets beyond workers’ capacity. Each production line, which consists of only 50 workers, is required to produce over 100 garments—shirts and trousers—within an hour. Workers said they face verbal abuse and intimidation from supervisors if the targets are not met.
The factory is located on Daw Phwar Shin Street, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, and operates with over 1,800 workers. It has been reported that the factory does not have a trade union.
“Each production line has about 50 people, yet they demand over 100 garments per hour. The line supervisors and superiors yell at us, berate us, and pressure us if we don’t meet their targets. Moreover, the way they calculate and pay our wages is confusing for the workers. We don’t even know how much we are paid for overtime work. In addition, the factory deducts amounts ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 kyats per worker under the heading of ‘support funds.’ However, they don’t explain how or where these funds are being used to support. They just deduct the money as they wish without consulting the us,” one factory worker said.
The factory’s working hours are set from 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and workers are not allowed to take their legally entitled leave days.
Although the daily wage, including allowances, amounts to 7,600 kyats, workers face deductions for absenteeism, which include penalties for daily wages, subsidies, and attendance bonuses. “We lose everything—penalties, subsidies, and attendance bonuses if we miss even one day of work,” a worker shared.
“The factory has upper and lower floors, and there’s a medical clinic inside. However, workers have to request a gate pass if workers need to visit the clinic. Getting a gate pass is not easy, even in emergencies. It’s challenging to see a doctor at the clinic when needed,” the worker added.
The workers have expressed their demands, which include: stopping wage deductions under the heading of "support funds.”, setting realistic production targets that workers can reasonably meet, ending verbal abuse and intimidation by supervisors and line leaders, granting workers their legally entitled leave days and allowing workers to visit the clinic without requiring gate passes and ensuring proper attention to their healthcare needs.
