Ma Po, 30, has been working at White Elephant Concrete, in Mandalay for 5 years. Being illiterate does not deter her from organizing the workers at the factory. BWFM initiated the organizing work at this factory by building contacts with two workers. Ma Po was one of them. Later on she managed to recruit 53 workers to join the union.

In October 2016, the union negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with 9 demands proposed by the workers. The negotiation was successful as the workers earned double waged-overtime payment, a clinic within the factory compound, PPEs and formation of the workplace coordinating committee enabling bipartite dialogue. 

Asked whether she ever experienced gender barrier in organizing, Ma Po said: “I have been bullied by co-workers several times, to discourage me on my organising work. There are very few women who stand for leadership in the union. But for me, showing genuine leadership is the key factor to earn the trust of workers, and this makes me an effective trader union leader”. 

Ma Po, 30, has been working at White Elephant Concrete, in Mandalay for 5 years. Being illiterate does not deter her from organizing the workers at the factory. BWFM initiated the organizing work at this factory by building contacts with two workers. Ma Po was one of them. Later on she managed to recruit 53 workers to join the union. In October 2016, the union negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with 9 demands proposed by the workers. The negotiation was successful as the workers earned double waged-overtime payment, a clinic within the factory compound, PPEs and formation of the workplace coordinating committee enabling bipartite dialogue. Asked whether she ever experienced gender barrier in organizing, Ma Po said: “I have been bullied by co-workers several times, to discourage me on my organising work. There are very few women who stand for leadership in the union. But for me, showing genuine leadership is the key factor to earn the trust of workers, and this makes me an effective trader union leader”.