"500 MMK fine for missing an entry record at Universal Garment", 25 October 2023

Workers told Myanmar Labor News that Universal Apparel...has an attendance machine which records entry and [exit] and [workers] have to pay 500 Kyats immediately if they are not recorded.

"If someone is not recorded for any kind of reason, they will start yelling for 500 MMK fine with the microphone," said a worker.

"Workers have said that Universal Garment has had that detector for more than 2 years...The clerks also collect[s] the attendance list, even after recording with the machine" he said.

Even though the clerks list the attendance, the workers still need to pay 500MMK fine if they miss the machine record.

The workers also said that [the] record system is convenient...for entry but it [is] not for exit as there is always a crowd and there are many workers who don’t get recorded.

"As for the workers, they have to pay the fine every time the machine doesn’t register them without knowing there is errors. We don't know who is doing what with that money... " a worker said.

Workers said that Universal Garment Factory Universal Apparel Co., Ltd. is located at Ngwe Pinle Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar and owned by a Korean National.

The factory operates with more than 1,000 workers and manufactures[for] brands such as ELCORTE [and] MOORES...