By Hsu Latt Phyu - Nov 15, 2023
More than 600 workers are working at the Myanmar Tiannan Garment Factory, which locates in Bandhula Estate, Shwe Pyi Thar Township, and the workers said that the factory are committing violations such as not having the right to benefits in the workplace, not having an EC contract, and being forced directly by Chinese women.
It is reported it is a Chinese owned factory which is manufacturing brands such as FSBN, USA and as BLACK SQUAD and there is no union organized to carry out labor negotiations in the workplace.
The factory manufactures and exports one-set sportswear, and nearly 60 day laborers are hired from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at a rate of 500 kyats per hour and the same goes to overtime and illegal dismissals are often made.
"The Chinese all super woman unfairly asked the standards such as 50 pieces of cloth per hour, and told us to quit leave if we couldn't meet the standard," said the worker, who did not want to be named.
They have to sew to meet the fabric standards between the working hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and workers who do not meet the standard discriminated such as not appointed for overtime and not given a ferry.
Casual leave and medical leave which is the right of workers in the garment industry are not allowed and cut off the money for a leave. The workers said that a day fee (4,800 kyats) and attendance bonus (10,000 Kyats); a total of (14,800 Kyats) are cut for a miss of single day.
"Missing a day due to illness also cost for the daily wage of the Sunday. Also, if they call for overtime on Sunday, we are forced and call without asking our consent. We will be discriminated against if we refuse. And also they ask us to work overtime for free without paying," said the worker, who did not want to be named.
Last February, 2023, after the factory's violations were reported in the media, the labor office found out that child laborers and day laborers were being hired with 500 kyats an hour, so the factory had to pay a fine of 50,000 kyats each, the worker said.
The workers said that they want their legal leaves, the foreigner Chinese woman not to directly manage the workers, to pay for overtime and not to forced by free, to provide clean toilets, a medic-clinic and necessary drugs in the factory.
