“They say they are forced to work on weekends without pay”, 18 August 2022

Employees of Myanmar Jiale Fashion Garment say that they are being forced to work every Sunday for the reason that they do not meet the monthly [targets], and that they are being forced to do so without being paid.

It is reported that the…factory opened at Chindung 2nd Road, Hlaing Thayar Township, Shwe Samlwin Industrial Zone, Yangon Region…and employs around 1,000 workers.

It is said that the factory manufactures [for] H&M...A labor union has been formed in the workplace, and the workers have said that the employer has been committing various violations against the workers since the military took over...

At present, workers are forced to work overtime without their will...

He said that day laborers in the factory are forced to sign one-week contracts, two-week contracts, and one-month contracts, and if the order is important, they are called back and forced to do so again.

The workers also said that the employers unfairly asked the workers to meet [targets], and if the [targets] were not met, the super[visors] called them at the top of the machine line and spoke harshly to them, forced them to say things such as ``I'm sorry'', and said obscenities and swearing.

In addition, it is reported that the workers are not paid for overtime on Sundays, saying that the [targets] are not met.

"There is a stipulation that pregnant women are not employed in the factory. Some of them come to work when they are about 2 months pregnant because of food security…they accept that there are no pregnancy benefits. When they are about to give birth, they are fired without any benefits. And there are also underage child workers," said a worker at the factory…

[Translation via Google Translate]