Myanmar: Labour department inspections failing to address forced overtime in garment factories, labour rights activists report
Summary
Date Reported: 25 Aug 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
GTIG HUBO - Supplier , Bestseller - Buyer , Fast Retailing - Former buyer , Pimkie (part of Association Familiale Mulliez) - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Workers: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Mandatory overtimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: GTIG HUBO allegedly supplies to BESTSELLER, Pimkie and Fast Retailing; All three provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Pimkie stated it had not sourced from the factory since 2021 and Fast Retailing stated it had ceased operations with the factory before the allegations took place.
Source type: News outlet
"More and more people are being forced to spend [work over]time because they fail random access checks", 24 August 2023
According to labor activists, workers in most factories are being forced to work overtime because the Department of Workshop and Labor Law Inspection has failed to conduct regular inspections of factories...
At the Kaw Htike 5 HUBO Garment factory, the labourers informed STUM that...their hours of overtime do not match the overtime they receive, even if they are tired and sick because of the overtime...
In addition, most of the other factories are being reported that they have been continuously calling for overtime. There is a rise in the number of labours who became sick, weak and dizzy because of being forced to work all night without a day off without their desire.
Even though they had to work overtime unfairly, they did not receive full overtime pay. It is reported that employers and factories continue to violate labor rights, such as forcing to work overtime by unfairly demanding clothing standards, not allowing to take day off even if they are sick, and firing for not working overtime as the labours feels unbearable.
It is reported that these issues have become more frequent due to the failure of the Department of Workplace and Labor Law Inspection to conduct casual inspections.