By Hsu Latt Phyu - Feb 07, 2024
The workers from San Yuan Oversea(2) Myanmar garment factory said that they are having difficulties as their professionality fees for January are cut.
The Chinese owned factory which opened at the Western Road, Htan Ta Pin Industrial Zone, Htan Ta Pin Township Yangon region is operating with more than 500 workers and manufacturing PADDED COLLECTION and COTTON BELT brand jackets.
The wages are 4,800 kyats daily wages, attendance bonus 25,000 kyats, 1,000 kyats stipend and the professionality fees A+(51,000), A (41,000), B(28,000) kyats.
Currently the employer only give 11,000 kyats to most people and 7,500 for others for those who get A+ 51,000 kyats professionality fees before and the workers are difficulties with the living expenses.
“They reduced the professionality fees. They reduced in this month and some gets paid 10,000 and others 7,000 kyats. They initially said they would give professionality fees to some lines with high productivity and would not give for some line. Actually, those workers who don’t have to sew also have to pave the fabric hairs and label them. But they are not get paid as it is not called productive by them, but everyone is working anyway.”
All worker salaries are reduced by 10,000 to 30,000 kyats and they want to get the same as before due to effects on their livlihoods.
“We have difficulties. Even B graders suffer for 20,000 kyats and A graders 30,000 kyats. The employer wouldn’t know but that amount is also a meaning full amount for us during these times. No one gets fully paid and when we asked about the reason the factory said every factory have to work. As the manager said, we may don’t have productivity but we complained that we have to pave the hairs and label the fabrics and they don’t respond.”
Although they reported to the labor office for these violations, they didn’t get a chance to say the truth while they came to inspect.
“We reported and the officials asked if the factory give us social security and if we are cut on January 7th but no one dares to tell the truth. I want to say that I want everything to be truth. I want to say not to cut because it makes the workers struggle and they are also cutting for the social security’s permitted leave too. The social security gave 60 percent for health issue and 70 percent for maternity leave. But they take very long time and said that it’s because there are only few stuffs in the social security departments,” said the worker.
There is no trade union in the factory and the workplace coalition team cannot take any action upon being cut for the professionality fee.
“If they are having a good situation and continues to operate as before, we want to be given the same as before. We don’t want to be cut. They should give us at least some amount that they should. And they should inform us if they are in a situation where they can’t give, so that we can process legally. For now it is unacceptable because they want to hire us but don’t want to pay,” said the workers.
