“Workers' rights are being violated at SHINSUNG Garment”, 10 July 2023

At the Shinsung garment factory…which was opened on Daw Baxin Road, Shwe Lin Van Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thayar Township, the workers are not allowed to enjoy any benefits…Workers reported that supervisors [used] abusive language and [committed] other violations.

It is reported that there is no organized labor union in the workplace, which operates with more than 4,000 workers.

In this factory, P TOPTEN brand shirt[s]…[are] reported [to be] sewn.

"The time to go to work in the morning is 7:30. But sewing starts at 7:10. The [factory] demands more than the workers can sew," said an unnamed worker from the workplace.

The worker said that the set [target] for sewing…is 150 to 160 garments per hour.

"If there is more…to achieve [than] the requested [target], we will be given an incentive that we will be paid an extra…fee, so some workers do not stop and sew without stopping during the break. If they exceed the record, they will receive a…bonus…," said the worker.

In the workplace, the manager said that there are [wages] ranging from 500 kyat to 3,000 kyat per month.

Currently, 6,000 kyats is set as a day fee, but the OT fee is not set according to the basic salary.

"As for the leave entitlement, the workers are not entitled to the temporary leave that the workers are entitled to. If the leave is not considered as a leave, if one day of work is missed, the day pay is 6,000 kyats, and the overtime pay is cut, if 2 days are missed (4,000,000) are cut.

"If I miss work because of ill health and go to the hospital…I'm treated like a fool. There's only a medicine room in the factory, and there's only one kind of medicine…" he said.

[A worker] said that every time the factory manager comes to the machine room, the entire machine line has to be cleaned every day, and there is no cleaning staff appointed.

[Workers are] being emotionally harassed in the workplace; According to the worker, they were also insulted.

[Workers call for the factory] to increase the OT pay according to the day rate. Super[visors to] not…speak rudely; To keep the necessary medicines in the dispensary and to clean the machine line. To specify the exact amount of fabric surcharge, To give workers extra money when paying salaries….not to ask for…[unfair targets], and not to ask for money if the [targets] are not met…

[Translation via Google Translate]