Myanmar workers at Won Sinh Technology factory in Chonburi, Thailand have reported experiencing discrimination and oppressive treatment from their employers. The factory, which employs over 900 Myanmar workers alongside Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese workers, has been specifically targeting Myanmar workers with unfair practices. Workers have revealed that the factory has been terminating employees without compensation and implementing irregular work schedules without proper justification.
According to workers, the factory initially recruited additional staff during peak production periods, but after the Chinese New Year holiday, they began implementing irregular work schedules. Some workers are forced to work on alternating days, while others are made to take three to four days off before being allowed to work for just one day. The factory has ignored requests for daily wage compensation during forced off days and operates on a contract system instead of following the Thai government’s mandated minimum wage of 400 baht per day. Workers also report that they face immediate termination for even a single unauthorized absence.
When workers attempt to raise their concerns, they face a bureaucratic maze where the factory directs them to brokers, who in turn redirect them back to the factory, with neither party taking responsibility for addressing their issues. Workers who formally resign are given fake work permits, making it difficult for them to find employment at other factories. The cost of obtaining new work permits amounts to approximately one million Myanmar kyat (10 lakhs). In response to these oppressive conditions, some workers have organized protests, but those who participated in such actions were subsequently terminated by the factory management.
