FTUB: TEXTILE WORKERS ACTIVITIES

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TEXTILE  WORKERS  ACTIVITIES

The company is a joint venture between the military and a company from Hong Kong and is called  "Hong Kong UMEH garment factory". The Hong Kong firm is  Yan  Xi  Kyan and the Union of  Myanmar Economic Holdings UMEH is a military owned economic unit.   There are 1,337  people employed in the factory.

The movement started in November and was lead by an elected eleven member committee.

November 19, 1997.

Work stoppage started on these seven demands.
1. To increase the salary.
2. Not to force overtime on Government holidays and not to deduct the salary if the workers did not work on those holidays.      
3. The company to help with medical treatment if a worker was injured on duty.
4. Fines and deductions for late arrivals be made public.
5. The right for the workers to enter governmental examinations.
6. The give special allowance to workers involved in using chemicals.
7. To make the rules and regulations of the factory  public so that all the workers would understand.

December  2, 1997
Work stoppage continued and chanting of     "Workers Rights - Our Rights"
                                                                     "Increasing of Salary - Our Rights"  took place.

The General Manager Rodney Stewart, the Factory manager, Chinese advisors and the Burmese Administrative Manager met with the strike committee.  The General Manager agreed to the following seven demands of the workers. 

The Admin  Manager wrote the following agreed issues at 15:30 the same day.
1. Starting from the training period, employees would be given 55 Kyats. The basic salary would start from 1,800 Kyats in 1988.
2. Workers can decide whether they want to work  overtime on Government holidays. There will be a discussion if the company needs more workforce on holidays. The penalties will be discussed by the Admin Manager with the supervisors.
3. The medical fees will be issued by the factory. It will also be made public.
4. Fines and penalties will be cleared on time.
5. The workers will be allowed to enter Government exams officially.
6. The workers who handle chemicals will be issued special allowances.
7. The rules and regulations will be made public.
8. The factory agrees to the formation of a  six member permanent workers committee by the workers.  


The workers committee requested that the agreements be written on a blackboard at the front of the factory and the GM agreed and instructed the Admin Manager to write the agreed issues. 

Late evening - December 2, 1997 -- The three Chinese advisors called a meeting with the Admin Manager and refused the agreements and scratched out the agreements from the blackboard and told the workers that the demands would not be met.

Late evening - December 2, 1997-- The workers committee responded by issuing a statement that said all the workers from Hlegu and  Indakaw would not enter the factory and would do so until the demands were met.

06:30 - December 3,1997 -- The workers  just sat in front of the factory and held a picket line.

09:00 - December 3, 1997--The GM tried to drive into the factory pass the picket line and had an argument with the workers.

Military Intelligence, Police Special Branch, the township police, the township labor department officials, the Social Welfare department officials arrived and held a meeting with the strikers.

The eleven member workers committee members were taken to the local SLORC office, interrogated individually by the Military Intelligence, Police Special Branch and the township police and dismissed from their jobs.

December 4, 1997--The strike and picket line continued.

December 6, 1997--Five more leaders of the strike were dismissed.

December 6, 1997--The Deputy Director of the Labor Department came to the talk with the strikers.
The workers insisted that their demands were for workers rights and their social welfare and that being a fair movement they would continue. They also requested that they wanted their dismissed colleagues reinstated at their jobs.

December 7-8 1997--The strike continues.

December 8, 1997--The factory management declared that all the demands would be met and that the disputed work areas would be under control of the Department of Labor.

December 12, 1997--All the demands were met and all the dismissed workers are allowed to go back  to work.
        

December 12, 1997

* The workers from "Cherry Garment Factory" located in North Okkalapa; Rangoon went on a sit down strike.
They were striking to protest the news that the factory would be closed and they would 
loose their jobs.

The company gave them 3 months advance pay and confirmed that the factory would be closed but all the workers would be transferred to the new place and would not loose their jobs.

There is frustration and unrest in the following textile and garment factories that the military took over in 1997.
Thamaing Textile and Garment in Rangoon
Paleik Textile and Garment factory in Paleik, Magwe Division
Shwedaung Textile and Garment Factory in Shwe Taung, in Pegu Division. 

All  these factories employ at least 3,000 salaried workers. The  factors for frustration are the inflation which has jumped over 200% within the last two months which the ruling junta has made no acknowledgement and shown no sign of adjustment on the salary of the workers. Another point is the taking over of the management even to the level of foreman by the military and the harsh method of management by the new military supervisors.  


Note:  The present rate of the Burmese Kyat is 380 Kyats / dollar.
According to the agreement and the present rate of the dollar, the income of a textile worker in Burma is  0.02  dollar / hour  or   0.14 $ / day.
 
Please keep the details confidential for security reasons. We are monitoring the situation and at the same time sending encouragement and some support. 

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Date:  January 2, 1998


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