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A Taiwanese shoe manufacturing facility in Myanmar that produces world manufacturers together with Adidas has refused to reinstate 26 folks fired after they led a strike by lots of of staff calling for a rise of lower than a U.S. greenback in day by day wages, RFA Burmese has discovered.
Greater than 2,000 staff of the Yangon-based manufacturing facility owned by Myanmar Pou Chen Co. held a three-day strike starting on Oct. 25, demanding that their wages be raised to eight,000 kyats (about U.S.$2.50) per day from the 4,800 kyats (about U.S.$1.60) per day they have been granted by a federal minimal wage enhance 4 years in the past.
On the finish of the strike, manufacturing facility administration not solely rejected the calls for of the employees, however fired the 26 individuals who had organized the strike for taking an “unexcused absence.” Administration later supplied a compensation of three-months’ wage to the fired staff, who rejected the deal, saying they solely wish to be reinstated.
On Dec. 1, Myanmar Pou Chen Co. deposited the month-to-month wage for October along with 10-days wages it known as “severance pay” within the financial institution accounts of the fired staff. The employees advised RFA they plan to return the fee.
“We aren’t the enemies”
San Yu Hlaing, 22, advised RFA that she and the opposite 25 staff fired by the manufacturing facility need their jobs again and wage for the month of November.
“We aren’t the enemies of the manufacturing facility. Our households can solely make ends meet due to these factories,” she mentioned. “That’s why we don’t wish to conflict with the manufacturing facility any additional.”
“We wish to inform the employers of the manufacturing facility that we wish to peacefully come again and negotiate for our calls for constructively,” she mentioned. “We now have requested to be reinstated again to the place Adidas manufacturers are produced and likewise to present our salaries for the month of November however the manufacturing facility employers haven’t finished something to fulfill our calls for.”
Chit Ko Ko, who was additionally fired by the manufacturing facility, advised RFA that staff solely requested for a rise in pay as a result of their present wages are insufficient to fulfill the rising costs of fundamental commodities.
She mentioned {that a} kilogram of rice at the moment prices as a lot as 4,000 kyats, whereas a viss (1.63 kilograms) of cooking oil or a go to to the physician can value as much as 8,000 kyats.
“The wages that the manufacturing facility pays us doesn’t cowl our fundamental value of residing,” she mentioned.
“It hasn’t risen with inflation. That’s why we’re solely demanding sufficient to cowl these prices. Moreover, there’s a regulation requiring wage changes each two years.”
Article 5(h) of Myanmar’s Minimal Wage Regulation requires the federal government to repair and formally announce the nation’s minimal wage fee a minimum of as soon as each two years.
After the regulation was enacted in 2013, authorities set a minimal wage of three,600 kyats for an eight-hour workday and later elevated it to 4,800 kyats in January 2018. Nonetheless, the wage was by no means elevated in 2020 and there was no point out of a hike since Myanmar’s navy seized energy in a February 2021 coup.
Negotiations stalled
Whereas Myanmar Pou Chen Co. and its staff held negotiations on the Shwepyithar township workplace of the Division of Labor on Nov. 22, 25 and Dec. 8, staff advised RFA that the 2 sides failed to come back to an settlement as a result of manufacturing facility administration refused to adjust to employee calls for and the labor workplace directed them to take the matter to court docket.
Staff mentioned that the 7,000 folks employed by the manufacturing facility are required to provide round 36,000 pairs of footwear a day and don’t even have sufficient time to go to the toilet in the event that they hope to make their quota.
Phyo Thida Win, president of the Myanmar Pou Chen manufacturing facility staff’ union, mentioned that in 2018, the manufacturing facility required staff to provide 120 pairs of footwear each hour, however whereas that quantity has since elevated to 220 pairs of footwear, wages have remained stagnant. In the meantime, the minimal value of a pair of Adidas footwear is greater than a complete month of wages for the employee who produces it, she mentioned.
“Their manufacturing targets have solely elevated,” she mentioned. “That is why we’ve got requested for a pay enhance in accordance with their rising calls for.”
Phyo Thida Win famous that Myanmar Pou Chen Co. solely provides its staff a ten,000-kyat bonus in the event that they don’t take go away throughout a piece 12 months, when different factories pay as a lot as 30,000 kyats.
Makes an attempt by RFA to succeed in Myanmar Pou Chen Co. and Adidas USA’s company workplace have gone unanswered.
Decision ‘unlikely’ amid political disaster
A supply who helps the employees battle for a wage enhance and requested to be recognized as Lin Lin, citing worry of reprisal, advised RFA {that a} truthful answer to the dispute is unlikely given Myanmar’s ongoing political disaster.
“On this political state of affairs, if the employees use authorized means to attempt to resolve this matter, I don’t assume they are going to win,” he mentioned.
“However we can show that justice can’t be served underneath navy rule. We will even show that the Pou Chen firm doesn’t function ethically in coping with its staff’ calls for.”
Lin Lin mentioned that employee representatives have knowledgeable the Worldwide Labor Group and Adidas in regards to the state of affairs on the manufacturing facility. He mentioned Adidas replied that it’s negotiating with the manufacturing facility to offer monetary assist to the employees whereas it investigates their claims.
RFA contacted the junta’s Division of Labor officer for Shwepyithar township concerning the dismissal of the employees with no truthful settlement, who mentioned that he was “not able to reply.”
Translated by Myo Min Aung. Written in English by Josh Lipes. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
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