Hundreds of garment workers in Yangon are pressing for direct negotiations with their employer as a strike over pay enters its second month. Employees at the Chinese‑owned Spring Moon Garment Manufacturing Co‑Ltd, based in Hlaingtharyar Township, have vowed to meet the factory owner on 10 August to demand higher wages, better overtime rates and attendance bonuses. The dispute began on 8 July when 177 workers walked out, citing soaring living costs and inflation since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup. Their demands include a daily wage of 13,000 kyat (around three US dollars), overtime at 2,500 kyat per hour and a monthly attendance bonus of 50,000 kyat. Management countered with 11,000 kyat per day and 2,200 kyat for overtime, but left the bonus unresolved. Workers rejected the offer and resumed striking at the end of July. The factory, which employs more than 200 staff under the Cut‑Make‑Pack system, produces clothing for Japanese and Italian brands including SUIRAN and Makku. The standoff highlights the pressures facing Myanmar’s export garment sector, where employees argue that current pay no longer covers basic living expenses. Labour rights group Solidarity of Trade Union Myanmar (STUM) has stepped in to support worker representatives, despite halting its formal union activities due to financial difficulties. STUM says it is helping with negotiations and has warned that management and local officials have threatened legal action against strikers, accusing them of taking jobs elsewhere during the walkout. Worker representatives deny the claims. The confrontation underscores the fragile state of Myanmar’s industrial economy, where inflation and political instability have eroded wages and heightened tensions between employers and employees. For the strikers, the upcoming meeting with the factory owner is seen as a crucial chance to secure a fairer deal. Whether management concedes to their demands or holds firm will determine not only the future of Spring Moon’s workforce but also set a precedent for labour disputes across the country’s garment industry. With international brands relying on Myanmar’s factories, the outcome could ripple far beyond Yangon’s industrial zones. -2026-08-07
