"Complaints about labor rights violations in the workplace at the relevant labor offices are ineffective", 6 July 2022

Employees of the KINGSRICH Myanmar Fashion Garment factory, which opened at Shwe Pya Thar Industrial Zone 2...said that the workers could not tolerate the violation of their rights under the labor law...

...after the military coup, if any problems occur in the factories, the military or the police are called to arrest them, and the situation is such that they do not dare to speak about the oppression of labor rights...

During the workplace, workers were forced to [work] overtime without their consent...workers who could not work overtime were threatened by various means through super[visors].

"I always get off duty from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and then they tell me to take overtime for the rest of the hours. [They] don't arrange a ferry for the people who [work overtime]...However, when they ask for OT time off, they get more...When they ask for OT time off, no matter how far away, no matter how difficult it is, if they don't get off OT time... "...

It is reported that the factory...manufactures [for] H&M, M&S...and employs around 3,000 workers.

Factory workers said that if they missed a day due to an urgent family matter or a day, they would lose a day's wages... and if they missed two days...they would be demoted.

In addition, day laborers working in the factory were paid 4,800 kyats between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the evening. For the rest of the overtime hours, they were forced to pay an exorbitant amount of 600 kyats per hour, and if they missed a day, they were fired without giving any reason for how hard they worked.

The day laborers were also forced to work as day laborers without being confirmed as employees, and in some (sections) they were called to work if needed by the employer, and fired if they did not need the work...

The workers say that there is a lack of responsibility on the part of the employer even if they get injured on the job. Some of the day laborers even suffer from physical disabilities during the work, but the employer does not take responsibility, and the workers say that there are cases of dismissal...

On normal days, they are forced to work overtime until late at night, and if they have to go home after work, without arranging a ferry from the employer's side, the workers have to go home with their own money.

The workers want to solve the issues of illegal work in the factory, including the threat of illegal dismissal, and want them to work in accordance with the law.

[Translation via Google Translate]