"Labor rights are being violated in GNS (Bago) Healthcare factory", 14 November 2023

In the GNS (Bago) Healthcare Co, Ltd factory, which sews surgical gowns, the workers said that they are not being given benefits, [and are] being intimidated and discriminated [against]...

GNS (Bago) Healthcare Co., Ltd., which located in Awain Ywar Ma Kwin, Awain village group, Bago City, Bago Province, is owned by a Chinese national and it is known that there is no labor union in the workplace.

They are working from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and the working hours are often changed. They said that the workers are having a hard time because... the supervisors, are asking for a higher rate than what the workers can handle, slandering and intimidating upon asking the demands.

They pressurize and ask for an [target] that cannot be obtained. After that, the supervisors keep shouting and slandering...If we can't[meet the target], we were told that not to come to work the next day. The [supervisors are] also order[ed] to give the name and card number [of] those who can’t provide the demanded [target] and those will be fired," said an unsatisfactory worker...

"Even though the [supervisors] are wrong, we have to tolerate as we [are] afraid of...losing [ourjobs]. We bow our head to everything they say. We are being pressured by the targets...We are forced to do it alone whe[n] two people should be doing it, but they don’t appoint enough man power and they're still reducing the number [of workers]. The demand is unfair, and there are a lot of people who have left their jobs," said a worker.

He said that even though 5,600 daily allowances are set in the workplace...all workers are not paid equally.

In the same way, when paying the professional fees for [Grade] A, B, C, all the tailors are not [paid] equally. [Supervisors are] shoosing and giving [fees to the] the machine line[s] they want to pay. Only two and three people are selected and [paid well]. In choosing people, only whose who are comfortable [with the supervisors] are paid the professional fess while the workers who are actually sewing aren’t...

...the workers [are] not entitled to the leave...and if they miss...a day, they [are] discriminated against and [face a] cut daily fee [of] 5,600 MMK and attendance bonus 7,500 MMK [from their wages..

The workers want to request to allow legal benefits, not to force [workers] to sign a warning without any clear reasons, to set the A , B, C, D levels based on expertise and to work with transparency and [supervisors to] not to use slanders and rude.