Burmese Workers face losing the job
Burmese Workers face losing the job or forced to be slaved in their own soil. They need your support!
Yangon (Myanmar) Chinese owned Taiye shoe (slipper) factory, in Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone, warned its workers that they will lose their jobs if the strike continues for more than three days.
More than two thousand workers have been striking since Feb 6 for their fair salary. They asked fair pay for Chinese New Year and another five continuous holidays which were decided by the factory owner without prior notice to the workers.
Majority of the workers are losing one third of their monthly income as there are no holiday pay. The workers barely meet the ends normally with their low income as hourly wages are too low compare to the current food prices. They simply cannot effort to waste one third of their income. They decided to strike and hope that factor admin will agree to pay fair holiday pay. But the representative of the owner replies today that they will kick out all the workers if they continue the strike more than three days from today.
Miss Su Su Nway, former political prisoner and human rights campaigner said "The boss of the factory said that all the workers who do not work during three days, will be dismiss. The boss continues that the workers are like dogs which bite the hand that feed them.” The boss is very rude as all the workers who are in strike are comparing with dogs in his speech.
The workers are very furious for the threat to dismiss jobs. After the representative said, the workers left the factory and then continued their strike. They marched around the factory and urged “to close down the factory or otherwise to fulfil their fair requests ".
The workers asked 11 requests including suitable salary, no discriminating among workers and to reduce unfair rules.
Miss Su Su Nway, former political prisoner and human campaigner said they need an organization to protect the worker rights. Even thought the government has the nominal official worker organizations at every city in the country, they never investigate or solve those kinds of worker problems fairly. Those organizations normally take bribe from the owners of factories.
The Burmese general usually own the certain percent of the share in these kinds of business and they never reluctant to make trouble to the union leaders. Normally the workers worried about losing their jobs but they cannot patient for long time oppressing which push them to starving and far below the poverty line.
People think the new nominal civilian government of Burma is making reform but still neglect those kinds of problems for grass root workers.
If the workers lose their jobs, the families of the workers are also at great risks. Many young women and mothers ended up in sex business in the past as they cannot see the family starving and risking themselves in HIV and AIDS diseases.
Burmese society need the good people or well trained organizations to protect and lead for worker rights. If you are in a free and civilized country please use your liberty to help these people who are at risk of losing their job or force to be salved.
Please forward this message to any good people or organizations as they might get help from these people or organizations.
Thanks for reading !
Kyaw Min (London UK)
|