Myanmar: Workers at Sunrise Myanmar factory forced to lie to inspection teams
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 28 Dec 2023
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Topvalu Collection (part of AEON) - Reported buyer , United Athle - Former buyer , Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) - Reported buyer , Adastria - Former buyer , OVS SpA - Reported buyer , Shimamura - Buyer , Honeys Holdings - Buyer , Sunrise Myanmar - SupplierAffected
Total individuals affected: 1000
Workers: ( 1000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
Freedom of Association , IntimidationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Sunrise Myanmar allegedly supplies or has supplied to H&M, OVS SpA, TopValu, Honeys, United Athle, Shimamura and Adastra; Honeys, United Athle and Adastria provided a response to a request for comment from the Resource Centre. Adastria and United Athle stated they no longer source from the factory. Shimamura did not respond. Topvalu, H&M and OVS SpA have previously told the Resource Centre they do not source from the factory.
Source type: News outlet
"Sunrise (Myanmar) fashion factory exceeded the law and asked for more time. Forced to lie to inspection teams", 28 December 2023
The Sunrise (Myanmar) fashion garment factory forced [workers] to work overtime beyond the law, the workers said, and the inspection teams also asked the workers to give false answers when they came to investigate.
"...Now in December, we only have 2 days off, National Day and Christmas Day. Sundays are not allowed..." A worker said.
The Sunrise (Myanmar) fashion garment factory called for excessive overtime...If you refuse to work overtime, you will be demoted and your rights will be cut...[workers are] not getting hourly wages, [and are] being slandered...This is the 4th time this year that the garment factory has been reported due to the lack of a return ferry [for workers working overtime].
"... [when] the representative of the brand came to check [the factory], [management asked] me to lie more...They told me to lie[and say] that they...only work overtime for one Sunday from the whole month..." said one of the workers.
Workers say that the working hours of the Sunrise Myanmar fashion factory are from Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, and they have to work overtime until 7:00 pm.
In addition to having to work 4 hours overtime on Saturday, the workers said that they had no day off because they had to work until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday...The workers also said that the super[visors] are oppressing the workers...
"...[The supervisors] made it difficult to take leave...I hardly had a day off this whole year...," said one worker.
The officials of Sunrise Myanmar fashion garment factory gave only one day of casual leave and the [rest of the] days were designated as non-working days and the day pay and regular pay were cut...
Around 1,000 workers are working in the factory and there is no union.
The workers also said that the workers do not have confidence in the WCC because it is biased towards the factory...
[Translation via Google Translate]