Myanmar: Garment workers reportedly denied time off work and forced to sleep overnight in factory
Summary
Date Reported: 2 Sep 2022
Location: Myanmar
Companies
RONG DA GARMENTS MYANMAR - Supplier , LC Waikiki - Former buyer , LPP Spółka Akcyjna - Buyer , Reserved (part of LPP Spółka Akcyjna) - Buyer , Sinsay (part of LPP S.A.) - Buyer , PEP&CO - Reported buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 1300
Workers: ( 1300 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Dismissal , Excessive production targets , Denial of leave , Gender Discrimination , Personal Health , Mandatory overtimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Rong Da Garment allegedly supplies to LC Waikiki; LC Waikiki did not provide a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. In September 2024, LPP, LC Waikiki and Pep&Co provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. LC Waikiki stated it had not sourced from the factory in two years. Pep&Co stated it no longer sources from Myanmar.
Source type: News outlet
“They say that they are working without a day off, they are not getting any benefits, and there are violations of labor rights in the workplace”, 2 September 2022
The workers said that there are violations of labor rights at the RONG DA Garment factory, which is a Chinese-owned factory that opened on Bo Taichun Road, Shwe Pytha Township, Wahtar Industrial Zone, Yangon Region, and they want to resolve it.
In the workplace, I work without a day off, and on Saturdays and Sundays, The workers say that they are having difficulties because they have to [work] overnight and the rest of the working hours from Monday to Friday are 10 [hours 30 minutes] (8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) and they have to [work] overtime from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.
It is reported that the factory is operating with more than 1,300 workers without a union...
"In the workplace, there are things [said] that are rude, from super[visors]... insulting employees, and they shout...It's not good to work because there's no rest day," said a worker.
On Sundays, which are public holidays, workers are forced to work overtime without their consent, and the workers are not given the statutory leave and holiday benefits, the workers said.
In the workplace, the employer is demanding [workers meet higher targets] and if the workers refuse to work more time [to meet the targets], the super[visors]...swear and threaten to fire them, so they are worried about losing their jobs.
"They forced me to work overtime unfairly. On the days when I had to work until 12:00 PM...I was forced to sleep in the factory. Because I was forced to sleep, I was not given a place to sleep. Men and women were not even separated. I was not able to sleep in a comfortable place by myself. I did not get enough sleep, and then dinner was not arranged, so I was not comfortable at all," said a factory worker.
The factory workers say that because they work without a day off, they don't get enough sleep, they get injured due to mosquito bites on the days they sleep in the factory, and the workers say that their health, including social, is gradually affected.
In addition, the employe[es] said that there are illegal dismissals [violating] the terms of the employment contract when dismissing workers...
[Translation via Google Translate]