Myanmar: Garment workers forced to work overtime against their will
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 20 Jun 2024
Location: Myanmar
Companies
North Shore Group - Supplier , JD Sports Fashion - Former buyer , Vaude - Former buyer , Bergans - Former buyer , Schöffel - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 600
Workers: ( 600 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Mandatory overtime , Occupational Health & Safety , Wage Theft , IntimidationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: North Shore Group allegedly supplies or has supplied to Vaude, Schoffel, Bergans, and JD Sports; Vaude, Schoffel, Bergans provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre, stating they were in the process of withdrawing production from the factory. JD Sports previously stated it had ceased operations with North Shore Group in September 2021, and exited Myanmar in June 2022.
Source type: News outlet
"OT is forced to take a public holiday by threatening the workers against their will", 20 June 2024
...At the NorthShore Group garment factory in Pathein, workers were forced [work overtime] on a public holiday by threatening workers against their will.
"On the 18th of Eid al-Adha (Eid al-Adha), a public holiday, we had to [work overtime]... Even when we sent a letter to the relevant inspection department, nothing was done. The inspection department only went to the factory to eat and go back. There was no inspection. Even if they were called, only those who were trained by the factory were called to [the] inspect[ion]...
It is said that the factory...has a population of around 600 and is sewing [for] VAUDE, Schoffel, and BERGAN brands.
Some of the [supervisors] from the factory were abusive towards the workers, Throwing cloths and doing physical things...They discriminated against the workers and forced the sewing machine workers to clean once an hour...
The worker said that even though they were sick, they did not send them [home], and they did not pay OT for one day and then did not pay OT for the following days.
Last October 19, 2023, he physically assaulted a young female worker at the workplace, and the worker left work in shame.
[Translation via Google Translate]