Myanmar: Garment worker's phones taken from them during shifts
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 15 Feb 2024
Location: Myanmar
Companies
LPP Spółka Akcyjna - Reported buyer , Lidl - Former buyer , Gémo - Buyer , Sinsay (part of LPP S.A.) - Reported buyer , New Yorker - Buyer , Mango - Reported buyer , Synergy Garment - SupplierAffected
Total individuals affected: 1000
Workers: ( 1000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Surveillance , Freedom of Association , Wage Theft , Denial of leave , Excessive production targetsResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Synergy Garment allegedly supplies to or has supplied to Mango, Lidl, Gemo, LPP for its Sinsay brand and New Yorker; Lidl and LPP provided a response to an invite to comment from the Resource Centre. Lidl stated it has not sourced from the factory in years. LPP stated it does not source from the factory. Gemo and New Yorker did not respond. Mango has previously stated it conducted a responsible exit and therefore does not source from Myanmar.
Source type: News outlet
"MYANMAR SYNERGY GARMENT factory claims to be asking for [high targets]", 15 February 2024
At the...MYANMAR SYNERGY garment factory...the workers said that there are workplace violations and excessive requests from the garment workers.
Working with more than 1,000 workers, Sinsay...FBSISTER and other brand dresses and trousers are being sewn and exported [by the factory].
The working hours are from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, and if overtime is worked until 6:30 pm, the wage rate is 4,800 kyats per day, 1,000 kyats allowance, 1,200 kyats per hour overtime, and 15,000 kyats per day.
...the workers [say] that the [targets are] set higher than what the workers can sew...
there is no organized labor union in the workplace, and there is no workplace coordination committee to resolve employer-labor disputes in the workplace.
"...the workplace (WCC) selection at the factory [is not chosen] with the consent of the workers, they force them to vote only for the person given by the manager...[management] shout[s] at the workers directly, and they do not ask for the consent of the workers to [work] overtime on weekends. If they don't, they are forced to leave. The workers' phones are also kept by the super[visors] while they are working," said the worker.
He said that if he takes leave...his daily wages and professional fees will be cut...
The workers said that they would like the WCC to resolve issues such as selecting workers by consensus, so that the super[visor]s do not shout to demand [workers meet targets]...and not to cut the daily wages and professional fees.
[Translation via Google Translate]