"Guotai Fuhua garment workers request not to violate labor rights", March 9 2023

The workers of the Guotai Fuhua Garment garment factory opened in Hlaingthayar Township, Yangon Hlaingthayar Township have [had their] labor rights [violated] and demanded that they be [remedied].

[...]

He said that there is no trade union organised even though there are more than 1,000 workers in the workplace.

"A worker is unfairly asked for a [target] that a worker cannot sew. They ask for 80 pieces of cloth per hour for fear of not meeting the [target] They don't go to the toilet without drinking water and desperately sew the cloth. ... if they don't meet the [target], they are given a warning. If they fail, they are given a warning ..." said a worker ...

A worker who did not wish to be named said that in the workplace, it is difficult because the workers are [being asked for higher targets] than they can handle.

He said that if an audit comes to the workplace, they will teach and tell the workers about the rights that are not really given to them.

In the past, he was entitled to casual leave, but at the moment he is no longer entitled to it, and if he misses a day, he will be cut 4,800 kyats as a day allowance and 5,000 kyats as a daily allowance.

On Sundays, workers do not want to work overtime but are forced to work under pressure ... The workers also said that they are having a hard time because they are facing harassment.

A group of factory workers from last February 13th to 17th. From the 20th to the 25th, one group was divided into two groups and closed alternately due to lack of orders. The workers said that they are not satisfied with the fact that they will be paid holiday pay, but [that the holiday pay] will be cut from their seniority [pay] at the end of the year.

"They told me that they would give me a day allowance for the day they were closed, but they said that the day allowance that will be given now will be deducted from the salary of the two seniority allowances. They said that the workers who have not reached [10 years of service] will be deducted from their salary," the worker explained.

It is reported that there are changes in payment for seniority days received by workers who have completed one year of service in the garment industry.

"The employer is doing it on his own without consulting with the workers," the worker said.

The employer has informed that there is a labour leader in the workplace, but the workers' workplace violations have not been resolved, and the identity of the labour leader is unknown.

The workers working in the workplace have requested that the above violations of the basic rights of the workers be avoided and that the workers get the rights they deserve.

[Translation via Google Translate]