Workers in Myanmar have said that management has allegedly targeted union supporters under the “pretence” of layoffs related to coronavirus.
Hundreds of workers at two factories in Myanmar, who produce clothing for Zara and Primark, were fired days after forming a union. The move workers believe that their employers targeted union supporters under the pretence that layoffs were related to the coronavirus.
Days after filing a registration for their union, workers at the Huabo Times factory found that management terminated over 100 workers, of which were primarily union members and supporters. Management then transferred 200 non-union workers from a different factory to replace them just four days after their dismissals.
A similar story was reported at the Rui-Ning factory, where 298 union members were fired from the factory in early May 2020 after registering at a union in February 2020.
The fired workers have since sent a letter to Zara founder Don Amancio Ortega, who is famously the sixth wealthiest person in the world and has a net worth of over $66bn.
Fired pro-union employees also sent a separate letter to Primark calling for the reinstatement of employees affected by this, and for the company to mediate a resolution.
According to many workers at the Huabo Times factory, these layoffs were justified at the factory by citing “proper social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus”. However, they noted only 107 out of 1,800 workers were laid off, and days after the termination an additional 200 workers from a different factory were brought in to replace them.
Workers initially attempted to form a union because there was no employment contract outlining the rules and responsibilities of the employer during the coronavirus pandemic, and workers wanted to hold the employer accountable for suppressing and breaching rights of workers.
