Myanmar: Garment workers allegedly forced to work overnight & report denied wages & demotion if they take leave
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 23 Jan 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Shimamura - Buyer , Sunrise Myanmar - Supplier , Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) - Reported buyer , Topvalu Collection (part of AEON) - Reported buyer , OVS SpA - Reported buyer , Honeys Holdings - Buyer , United Athle - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 600
Workers: ( 600 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Occupational Health & Safety , Occupational Health & Safety , Excessive production targets , Harassment (other than sexual) , Mandatory overtime , Denial of leave , Wage Theft , Personal Health , Gender DiscriminationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Sunrise Myanmar allegedly supplies to or has supplied to Shimamura, Topvalu, H&M and OVS SpA; Topvalu provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre, stating it did not source from the factory. Shimamura did not respond. H&M and OVS SpA have previously told the Resource Centre they do not source from the factory. In January 2024, Shimamura, Honeys and United Athle provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. United Athle stated it no longer sources from the factory.
Source type: News outlet
“The Sunrise (Myanmar) factory workers are having a hard time, as they…work overtime until 12:00 p.m”, 23 January 2023
Sunrise (Myanmar) garment factory workers said that…[workers] are working overtime (OT) until 12:00 at night.
The workers of the garment factory said that on days when they work overtime until 12:00 p.m., they do not arrange a night's sleep for the workers.
Closshi…Topvalu and other brands are sewn, and the…Sunrise Myanmar Fashion Garment Factory operates with around 1,500 workers.
It is reported that the workers working at the garment factory, which was opened at 4 Kyaukjai Road, Thadhukan Industrial Zone, Shwe Pytha Township, Yangon Region, do not get the statutory leave days, and if they take 1 day off, their [pay] grade (rating) will be reduced.
In addition, on Sunday, which is a public holiday, OT is mandatory, and if you refuse to do OT, you are demoted and given a warning card.
He said that the garment factories are faced with pollution, and there are requests to increase the standard of fabric beyond the amount that can be sewn.
"No matter what happens at work, no matter what the reason is, if you take leave, if you miss a day of work, you are automatically demoted. In the workplace, many day workers are called in for 3 full days. The worst part is that they are called at 12 o'clock at night and it is not convenient for them to go back, so they have to sleep in the factory. At that time, there is no lounge and the workers have to sleep like that, which affects their health, and they do not have to take a day off for a whole month," said an unnamed worker.
According to the workers, they start work at 8:00 a.m. and leave work at 7:30 p.m., with 2:30 overtime.
Furthermore, there is no emergency exit in the workplace, not enough clean drinking water, and not enough sleep.
"Among those who are shouting rudely, there are..[the supervisors]. There is a clinic for medicine but there is no medicine. If there is an injury, the worker has to go out at his own expense. Whatever work is done does not comply with the EC contract. It is illegal," said the worker who is facing difficulties.
He said that since there is no labor union in the workplace, it is difficult to solve the problems related to the workplace and it is also difficult to complain.
According to the workers, they want to get their rights under the law and stop doing illegal things in the workplace.
[Translation via Google Translate]