By Min Ni Kyaw - Jun 28, 2024

Workers from Golden Heroes Company Limited (Sky Jet Company owned) factory in South Dagon Industrial Zone 1. said that they are working without sufficient occupational protective equipment and facing serious workplace injuries.

“Workplace accidents are happening every day such as skin burning and hand injuries. We only get a mask once in three days and nothing else,” said a worker.

The factory located at the intersection of Youth Kaw and Loi Kaw Street, South Dagon Industrial Zone 1, Yangon and owned by a Myanmar national.

The company is manufacturing printing machine, vinyl roller, printing colors, accessories, garment, bags and brand sealers.

One of the workers said that the factory did not take responsibility for the workers' injuries and did not allow them to pay social security fees.

" We have to work with chemicals and heat in the workplace. So we suffer from hand injuries, burning and suffocating. There is only isopropyl alcohol as a medicine. There wasn't even a bandage, so we tied the veins with a rag. The factory does not provide social security to these lower level workers. We have to treat ourselves at our own expense,” a worker said.

There are around 80 people working in the factory, and most of them are young workers. A worker also said that the factory did not take care of the injured workers and cut their wages because they are absent.

"Just a few days ago, a worker's skin was burned and he was sick. He didn't come to work. His wages are cut. What make worse is that the owner called him to help at their new constructing house. He was asked to go there, and was injured. He was not provided medical expenses and cut when he can’t come to work,” a worker said.

Golden Heroes Company Limited distribution workers get paid only 145,000 kyats a month as a basic salary and not get paid the 1,000 kyats per day allowance that the minister of labour instructed to.

“We don’t get the 1,000 kyats allowance. The most we get paid is 160,000 – 170,000 kyats per month considering the attendance bonus and other tips. We get lower than 160,000 kyats as soon as we missed a day,” they said.

It is also known that there is no employment between the workers and the employer. The Golden Heroes Company Limited (Sky Jet Company) also have a sub factory in Mandalay and around 100 workers are working there.