Textile Workers in Myanmar on Strike Over Management Abuses, Wage Theft and Forced Overtime

• Shrinking civic space, rising exploitation: How global fashion brands failed Myanmar’s garment workers under military rule
• https://noselvesnomasters.com/2026/01/20/strike-at-sen-yu-clothings-myanmar-factory-used-by-encuentro-moda/
• https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/union-leaders-and-factory-workers-collective-action-myanmar

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Global Mayday || The Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) reports on a labour strike currently going on at the factory of Sen Yu Clothings Myanmar Co., Ltd. It is located inside the Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaingtharyar Township, in Yangon, with around 500 workers, who have been on strike since January 7th, 2026.

It is the third strike action at this factory within the last 12 months due to abusive management, wage theft, and forced overtime. The factory produces for Encuentro Moda, a clothing brand based in Barcelona with shops mostly located across Spain.

Parties involved:
☆ Sen Yu Clothing Myanmar Co. Ltd.
No. 44, Bamar Atwin Wun Road, Shwe Lin Pan Industrial Zone, Hlaing Tharyar, Myanmar
☆ ENCUENTRO Modas SL
Calle Dén Draper, 32 Pol. Ind. Valldegata Arenys De Mar, 08350
☆ Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM)
and the workforce of 500 workers at the factory

FGWM invites you to join these workers in the struggle for living wages, an end to forced overtime, and termination of abusive management.

These are their demands:

1. Increase daily wage from 10,500 MMK to 12,000 MMK (approx. 4.85 EUR) – a modest increase to address the cost of living
2. Increase overtime pay from 1,950 MMK to 2,500 MMK per hour (approx. 1 EUR) – fair compensation for extra work
3. Terminate the Production Line Manager (All-Line Super) – who has systematically abused workers, issued false warnings, forced mandatory overtime, and bypassed HR to have workers physically removed from the factory
4. Terminate the Finishing QC Manager – who has engaged in the same retaliatory and abusive practices

These demands address both immediate economic needs and the removal of managers who have created a hostile, abusive work environment characterized by arbitrary firings, forced labor, and personal vendettas against workers.

We call on the Sen Yu Factory Management to …

1. ensure the Workplace Coordination Committee represents workers, not management interests!
2. immediately cease all violence, threats, and intimidation against workers!
3. engage in good faith negotiations with worker representatives!
4. meet the workers’ four demands without retaliation!
5. stop interviewing replacement workers and commit to resolving this dispute with current employees!
6. allow independent union formation without interference!

At Sen Yu factory garments are produced mainly for ENCUENTRO Moda, a brand based in Barcelona. Due to the ongoing strike the bosses threatened the workers with legal action, which usually means calling the military.

We call on ENCUENTRO, as the involved brand directly benefitting from the working conditions, to …

1. intervene immediately to pressure factory management to meet workers’ demands!
2. conduct independent investigations into the documented pattern of abuse!
3. ensure no workers face retaliation for participating in this protest!
4. implement robust monitoring and remediation measures!
5. consider suspending orders until fundamental rights are guaranteed!

The current strike is not an isolated incident. Workers at Sen Yu have been forced to organize collective actions multiple times over the past two years due to persistent and egregious violations of their rights:

• January 2026: Current work stoppage over wage demands, abusive management, and violent retaliation
• October 2025: Strike by over 1,000 workers protesting wage theft and forced unpaid overtime
• April 2025: Work stoppage demanding living wages and an end to forced overtime
• February 2025: Reports of phone confiscation, verbal abuse, threats, and denial of medical leave
• December 2024: Documentation of child labor exploitation and forced overtime without pay
• November 2024: Workers forced to sign overtime agreements under threats of termination

In this situation, the workers are calling on ENCUENTRO to intervene and resolve the situation as soon as possible. Unions with links to ENCUENTRO are asked to support the strike and approach the brand on this matter.

The situation has escalated dangerously. Workers report that on January 9, 2026:

• When workers blocked container trucks to demand negotiations, the female factory owner physically kicked workers
• Local police were called in to physically assault the workers
• Factory management began interviewing replacement workers instead of negotiating in good faith
• Management threatened that supervisors would sue workers for demanding their removal

It is about time that the pressure increases on the management and things get better for all involved factory workers for good.

More info and solidarity:
info@fgwm-solidarity.org

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