Garment workers from factories owned by Tai Yang Enterprise in Kandal
province's Ang Snuol district block National Road 4. Photograph: Vireak
Mai/Phnom Penh Post
Published: July 5, 2012
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, July 5 (UPI) -- The
Cambodia Alliance of Trade Unions Secretary-General May Sopheaktra said
workers would seek international attention if their demands were not
resolved.
"They will keep striking and they will march to the Labor Ministry, to Hun Sen's Cabinet and to the American embassy, and we will end our march at the European Union," the secretary-general said.
Protest actions escalated this week, when the company interrupted a
union rally by broadcasting an announcement over a loudspeaker, the
Phnom Penh Post reported Thursday.
About 4,000 workers blocked National Road 4 for more than seven
hours, allowing traffic through only after the company, Tai Yang
Enterprise, agreed to negotiate, the newspaper said.
Thach Phalla, an Ang Snuol deputy police chief, sided with the
workers. "We cannot blame the workers for blocking the road, because the
company played a loudspeaker to disturb their strike," he said.
The workers at the factory that makes clothing for Levi's and the Gap
are seeking economic support for transportation, bonus pay for good
performance and a contribution to child-care costs.
They are also seeking wage guarantees and protection from demotion
for workers who go on sick leave for more than three days, the newspaper
said.
2 comments:
Most of Cambodian people support and have sympathy with the workers who are striking.
But when the worker block the road during the strike, it shows that they are ignorant.This action hits the people who are making the trip, the patients who need to to to the hospitals....
People believe that the blockage of the road is an unresponsible act.
Please be cleaver, do strike as much as you need, but also make way for the people....
I hope Rong Chhun is enough clever to change this negative tactic.
1:17 PM, agree with you. I am very sympathetic with the workers who earn peanuts working days and night, but they must be smart not to fall into Hun Sen's trap. Rong Chhun and other union leaders must look at Chhlong people when they blocked road to protect their land from being confiscated. See what happened? Now all the villagers lost their land and Mam Sonando and Bun Ratha are accused of being secessionists. If Rong Chhun are not careful and allowed workers to block roads, Hun Sen might use the same tactic and tricks to accuse him of something and try to arrest him.
The workers should just protest in front of the parliament, embassies, or ministry of labor, in front of factories or something, but not blocking the roads because it disrupt people's businesses and life and they will lose their sympathy and supports.
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