Myanmar: Garment workers strike demanding wage increase due to rising living costs
Summary
Date Reported: 10 Jun 2024
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) - Buyer , Kingsrich (Myanmar) Fashion - Supplier , Marks & Spencer - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 1000
Workers: ( 1000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Fair & Equal Wages , Business-military collusionResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Kingsrich (Myanmar) Fashion allegedly supplies to or has supplied to H&M and Marks & Spencer; H&M provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Marks & Spencer previously informed us it ceased all operations in Myanmar in April 2023.
Source type: News outlet
"The workers will face difficulties because they will increase the allowance and cut the bonus", 11 June 2024
...The workers at Kingsrich (MYANMAR) Fashion Limited...on the morning of June 10th, due to the food crisis, went on a factory-wide strike and demanded an increase in wages...
...because workers' wages are too low... all the workers protested and asked for a salary increase. At around 4:00 p.m., due to negotiations in the factory, they agreed verbally that they would pay 4,800 + 1,000 = 5,800 + 1,700 = 7,500 kyats and overtime pay of 2,000 kyats.
"They didn't sign a contract. They only gave a verbal promise. We didn't believe them because they didn't sign a contract. Now they will pay 7,500 per day and 2,000 overtime. But when the WCC told the employer that the bonus was removed, it was confirmed...."
In addition...while the factory workers were protesting, plainclothes police and soldiers came to watch.
The factory...has more than 1,000 workers sewing H&M brand jackets. It is reported that there is no workers' union at the factory, but only (WCC) has been formed.
Although there is a workplace negotiation committee in the factory, because negotiations are conducted without asking the workers' demands, they want to continue to pay the workers' bonuses. 2024, Starting in March, the overtime is down to 7:30p.m.; I only stopped when I went to lunch in the afternoon, and then went down continuously in the evening until 7:00:30 p.m. without stopping. The workers said that the factory would also like to discuss matters such as the lack of snacks for the workers.
[Translation via Google Translate]