Myanmar: Workers reportedly forced to give false answers during inspections
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 24 Mar 2024
Location: Myanmar
Companies
Mango - Former buyer , New Yorker - Buyer , LPP Spółka Akcyjna - Reported buyer , Sinsay (part of LPP S.A.) - Reported buyer , Lidl - Former buyer , Gémo - Buyer , Synergy Garment - SupplierAffected
Total individuals affected: 1000
Workers: ( 1000 - Location unknown , Clothing & textile , Gender not reported )Issues
IntimidationResponse
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, Mango 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 and Mango stated they did not source from the factory. Gemo and New Yorker did not respond.
Source type: News outlet
"Asking [for high targets] in the workplace", 24 March 2024
In the...Myanmar Synergy Garment garment factory...the garment workers said that because they are set to sew nearly 800 garments for 10 hours, it is difficult to meet the [targets] and they are forcing [and] pressuriz[ing] them.
[The factory] is sewing [for] NEW YORK[er] brands and [sinsay]...
The workers said that...if the [target] is not met, the supervisors yell and scream at them and force them to sew [until the target is met]...
It is reported that the rate of wages paid for sewing garments from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm is 4,800 kyats per day, 1,000 kyats allowance, 1,200 kyats per hour for overtime, and 15,000 kyats per day...
"It has gotten worse after the coup. Even though there is a WCC at work, there is no solution to the problems of the workers. They ask for [targets] that cannot be [met]. If the standards are not met, the super[visor]s yell at them...If they call for overtime, they don't ask about the workers' consent. If they don't work [overtime], they are told off. And if they take time off...the daily wages and professional fees are cut...," said an unnamed worker said.
In addition, the workers said that the supervisors...kept the workers' mobile phones during working hours, oppressed them, and forced them to give false answers when they came for inspections.
There are around 1,000 workers in the workplace, and there is no labor union, which is a mechanism for solving problems in the workplace...
[Translation via Google Translate]