Myanmar: Garment workers at Handa Yangon factory report labour rights abuses
Summary
Date Reported: 27 Oct 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Lidl - Former buyer , Mizuno - Buyer , Next - Former buyer , Handa (Yangon) Myanmar - Supplier , Kiabi - Former buyer , Burtle - Buyer , New Wave Group - Buyer , Craft (part of New Wave Group) - Buyer , Honeys Holdings - Former buyer , Active Brands - Reported buyer , United Athle - Buyer , Clique (part of New Wave Group) - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Workers: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Denial of leave , Wage Theft , Occupational Health & Safety , Excessive production targets , Mandatory overtimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHHRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Handa (Yangon) allegedly supplies to Lidl, Mizuno, Active Brands, KIABI and Next; Lidl, Active Brands, KIABI and Next provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Next stated it had ceased operations with the factory in September 2022. Active Brands stated it sources from another Handa Factory (number 1). Mizuno did not respond. In September 2024, Burtle, New Wave Group, Honeys and United Athle provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Honeys stated it had not sourced from the factory since 2020. Burtle did not respond. Lidl informed us it had not sourced from the factory in years. KIABI stated its last order was in October 2023.
Source type: Social Media
[...]
Handa Yangon Garment 2 Garment Factory is located at No. 13/14/15, corner of U Shwe Win and U Muu Road, Shwe Lim Van Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thayar Township, Yangon Division (near the Rakhine Road Junction) and [there are] more than 4,000 people in the factory...The Japanese brand United Athle is [sourcing from] that factory.
The factory is forced to turn off the fans if the generator is not working [and it closes] the doors [so there is no]...ventilation. [It is] too hot.
According to FGWM, workers who are currently working at the factory say that when workers are [unwell], they are not easily given a gate pass [to] go to the hospital...
[They do] not pay...workers who miss two days of work per month...and [if workers] don't meet the [target], [they must work] overtime without [overtime] pay. If you take leave, the leaders discriminate and only give it to those who are comfortable with the leaders. There are not enough medicines in the clinic...
[Translation via Google Translate]