"More than 2,000 labours at LAT WAR (3) garment factory are being violated upon their rights.", 30 September 2023

According to the labourers, more than 2,000 labourers at the LAT WAR (3) garment factory which [is] locate[d] in Seik Kan Thar Street, Industrial Zone (2), Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon are being violated.

The garment factory was opened more than (1) years ago, and there are days when the working hours are (8) am to 6:30 pm (2 hours overtime) and there are days when the labour[er]s work overtime (3 hours) and also...days where they work all night...

“Working all [n]ight...until the next day morning. They forced us to work all [n]ight 4 or 5 days continuously. We have health issues such as vomiting and fainting for that,” said the labour.

It is reported that the factory is owned by a Chinese national [and] employs more than 2,000 labours and manufactures [for] brands such as REGATTA, KAPALUA, and has formed a Work Coordination Committee (WCC) without a trade union organization.

When called for overtime, labours have to work whether they want to or not, he said.

There are no [rest areas] for labours who work overtime, and [the factory asks for] twice the standard [target] even [if the original target] is reached...the Super[visors], Line Leaders and clerks swear and yell [at] the labourers...

Pregnant workers are not asked to do work that relieves them but [they are] force[d] [to meet] the same [targets] as ordinary workers, and they say that pregnant women [are not] allow[ed] to get the gate pass even if they are sick.

In addition, the[worker] also said that they are not allowed to take the days off that they are entitled to. "There is no[t] enough cough relie[f] medicine in a medical clinic where there are more than 2,000 labours. 20 out of 40 toilets in the factory are broken and have not [been] fixed yet. Even if we go to the toilet, the supervisors yell at us," said a labour working in the factory.

Although 26th 27th and 28th of Octobers are Tha Din Kyut holidays the...26th and 27th...will have to [be] replace[d] [and] labourers [will] work on Sunday...

Those who don't show up on Sunday have been informed that the professional fee will be reduced to (2) levels, and the Gr[ade] A person will only get C level [pay]. It is reported that the overtime work on the 23rd was only paid for 2 hours, and the remaining 4 hours of work were not paid...

As a result of the above violations, the labours are suffering a lot and feel that their rights are being violated. So that the labours want to request the following points because they are suffering from coercion.

The appeals are –

1. To [ask for] the labourers [consent] upon calling the overtime and to let go of the labourers who don’t want to work.
2. To request only possible [targets].
3. To...not to ask [pregnant women to meet high] goals.
4. To allow [workers] to enjoy vacation days and to provide easy access of the gate pass in case of health or emergency.
5. To prevent the Super[visor]s, Leaders and clerks from shouting and swearing [at] the labourers, and if they do, to take...actions according to the factory rules.
6. To repair the toilets.
7. To appoint a doctor at the factory clinic and to provide sufficient medicines as there are more than 2,000 labours.
8. To pay the overtime (4) hours worked on Saturday...