Myanmar: Supervisor allegedly dismissed after calling for reduction in excessive production targets
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 5 Feb 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Dunnes Stores - Buyer , GYSEN (Myanmar) Apparel Co. Ltd - Supplier , PEP&CO - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 1
Workers: ( 1 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Dismissal , Excessive production targetsResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: GYSEN (Myanmar) Apparel allegedly supplies to Pep&Co and Dunnes Stores; Pep&Co provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Dunnes Stores did not. In September 2024, Pep&Co informed us it no longer sources from Myanmar.
Source type: News outlet
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 5 Feb 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
GYSEN (Myanmar) Apparel Co. Ltd - Supplier , Dunnes Stores - Buyer , PEP&CO - Former buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 1000
Workers: ( 1000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Freedom of Association , Wage Theft , Gender Discrimination , Harassment (other than sexual) , Excessive production targets , Occupational Health & Safety , Personal Health , Mandatory overtimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: GYSEN (Myanmar) Apparel allegedly supplies to Pep&Co and Dunnes Stores; Pep&Co provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Dunnes Stores did not. In September 2024, Pep&Co informed us it no longer sources from Myanmar.
Source type: News outlet
“The super[visor] sacked for demanding a reduction in fabric standards far beyond what the workers could sew”, 5 February 2023
…In a workplace where foreign brands such as DUNNES STORES [and Pep&Co] sew, the [target] that workers can [meet] is 100…per hour, while the factory's demand is 230…per hour. So, if you can't sew to meet such an exponentially increased record, you have to sew until 9pm without overtime.
In addition, [workers]…work on Sunday to meet the record [for] [f]ree with no [overtime] fee. That's why they are having a hard time, GYSEN (MYANMAR) APPAREL CO,LTD factory workers said.
Workers say that the factory, which is located in Wah Tisara Road, Shwe Pytha Township...Yangon Region…operates with around 1,000 workers…
It is said that the garment factory makes woollen shirts and pants for children and adults.
"They only [have] 33 people [on] a machine line. They don't ask for more people. They don't ask for a lower [target]…," said the worker, who did not want to be named.
In order to achieve the desired [target]…they have to start sewing before 8:30 a.m…eat a quick lunch [for] 30 minutes…and sew until 9 p.m. They have to sew for an average of 13 hours a day.
Regarding the demand for such a [target] increase…the supervisor of Line 12, led the request to reduce the record…the [supervisor] was fired on January 31.
Another difficulty they are facing is that the supervisors say rudely that the workers are not allowed to enjoy equal benefits, and the workers who are having a hard time say that they have to drink unclean drinking water.
According to the workers, there is a trade union group in the workplace, but they cannot solve the difficulties they are currently facing, and they are also experiencing violations…
[Translation via Google Translate]