Primark vendor accused of locking employees in factory during Myanmar protests

Garment workers in Myanmar who work for Primark were locked inside their factory by supervisors who tried to prevent them from joining anti-coup protests.

 

Labors employed by GY Sen, vendor of Primark, claimed that their supervisors had sought to prevent them from missing work to take part in protests in the main city Yangon on 18 February. Up to 1,000 workers were trapped inside, according to workers, who said they were able to break free after several hours.

 

According to staffs, about 20 were later fired for absent shifts to join in the civil disobedience movement, through which huge numbers of people across the country have declined to work. The movement has stunned the military junta, severely disrupting key sectors such as banking and trade.

 

A representative for GY Sen denied claims that workers had been locked in or fired for protesting.

 

Primark said it launched an enquiry into the factory on 5 March after a local labor organization raised worries, but did not specify the details. It added that it would not place any further orders with the factory until the inquiry was completed.

 

Garment workers, mostly young women, have played a leading role in demonstrations opposing the military, which ousted the country’s democratically elected government last month. Many are continuing to organize protests, despite the junta imposing a campaign of terror and intimidation against opponents.

 

Union leaders complaint in the day but spend their evenings in hiding, sleeping at a different location every night to avoid the security forces. After dark, police and soldiers go door-to-door, seeking out activists. On top of the dangers posed by the military, workers’ groups say many employees have also been threatened with dismissal if they miss work to protest.

 

Primark said in a statement: “We will work with our supplier and, where required, other trusted third parties. If the factory is found to have breached our code [of conduct], we will work with the supplier and factory to remediate any issues.”

 

It added that Primark had a longstanding and positive relationship with the supplier, saying: “We believe it is our responsibility to do all we can to support workers in our supply chain.”

 

Workers at GY Sen said that, even before the coup, they were put under pressure to complete excessive workloads and threatened with dismissal if they refused extra shifts. Staff were paid as little as 1,200 kyat an hour (60p an hour) to work overtime, according to salary statements.

 

A spokesperson for GY Sen denied that the workers were not paid properly, saying: “We have paid them [for overtime] according to the standard rate under the law.”