Myanmar: Garment workers report multiple labour rights abuses incl. denied of social security benefits & mandatory overtime
Summary
Date Reported: 27 Mar 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Mei Jie - Supplier , Inditex - Reported buyer , Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) - Buyer , Zara (part of Inditex) - Reported buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 4000
Issues
Wage Theft , Occupational Health & Safety , Mandatory overtimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Mei Jie allegedly supplies to H&M and Inditex for its ZARA brand; both brands provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Inditex stated it does not source from the factory.
Source type: News outlet
“The workers claim that there is oppression from the top down in the workplace and that they are not receiving social security benefits and legal benefits and are being violated.”, 27 March 2023
MEI JIE (MYANMAR) CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES CO, LTD…which operates with more than 4,000 workers, has 3 representatives of the WCC (Labor Coordination Committee) formed by the employer without a trade union.
H&M… ZARA [and] brands such as Celio…are being sewn and exported.
Even if the monthly social security allowance is cut [from workers’ wages] and the social security department [provides] medical treatment, the employer will not give permission [to receive these benefits…The workers said that they cut their daily wages (22,000 kyats).
In the workplace…the work hours [start] before 8:00 a.m. Before arriving at work, they are often asked to move the fabric…
The worker said that he is usually asked to work early, but if he comes down 1 minute early at meal time, he will [be given] a warning.
"There are a lot of violations. They force [us] to work overnight. [Workers] don't…take a break on Sundays. They don't…take a break every week. If they call for overtime, they don't ask for the consent of the workers….I don't want them to do such things," said a worker who is facing difficulties…
The worker said that even though there are workplace violations, the workers are forced to [lie and say] that it is a good workplace when [people visit] from the buyer's side…
During the annual holiday season, workers are required to collect 10,000 kyat each, and if they don't show respect in some way, they will face discrimination.
There is only one toilet for male workers in the workplace…
The above violations of workers' rights in the workplace, such as not providing social security benefits, discriminating among workers, forcing them to work overtime without asking the workers' consent, reducing their salary if they do not work…working…without following the EC contract, forcing workers to work outside of working hours, and when female workers ride the ferry, there are outsiders who are drinking alcohol.
[Translation via Google Translate]