"Forced to call for more time in the workplace", 26 June 2024

The LITA MYANMAR garment factory...is working with more than 900 workers. They are forced to [work] overtime all night and on public holidays, and the workers say that they are working without even establishing a WCC...

The...factory is [manufacturing clothes for] CONVERSE, BURTLE, HEARTGREEN...[and] TOYO...

"Except for the tailors, they don't pay the daily wages to the other departments....if they miss more than three days, they threaten to fire them," the worker said.

...if the order is important, I work overnight....[They call me for overtime] without prior notice and [do] not arrange [transport to return home], so [workers must] return on their own accord]...She said that if she refused to work overtime, she would be verbally abused, discriminated against and pressured...

"In a line with around 45 people, [they] ask for 40 pieces of fabric per hour...it's difficult to [meet targets] without drinking water...the OT [is not] enough to [meet targets]. We [are] only paid 5,800..." the worker said...

[Workers are] not...able to enjoy casual leave that workers are entitled to...If you take social security medical leave, 4800 [kyats] will be cut. If you [take] any type of leave, you will be cut off.

"...The...boss, takes pictures of the workers with her phone..." said the unnamed worker.

"The boss...takes pictures of everything she sees and...treat[s] the [workers like] prisoners. If it's not during working hours, they don't open the water, so they can't go to the restroom because there's no water during the meal break," the worker continued.

The worker also said that the workers are being forced to go to work in places where they have no skills, and if they refuse, they will be fired.

He said, "A child worker was fired without pay for taking clothes, and the police were called to arrest the workers. The workers were also ordered to be arrested by the army, not just the police. Even the vendors in front of the factory were threatened with the army. There is no WCC, and there is no one to discuss any difficulties in the workplace."

[...]

[Translation via Google Translate]