PHNOM PENH, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian workers for the U.S.- owned Caltex petrol stations in Phnom Penh continued their strike for higher wages Wednesday after wage negotiations late Tuesday failed to reach any agreement.
Strike leader Sar Mora, president of the Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation, said some 300 Caltex workers had continued their strike at 18 of the country's 26 Caltex patrol stations Wednesday -- the third day of the protest.
"They will not stop their protest if the company does not agree to their demands," he said.
All Caltex stations in Phnom Penh City are still closed Wednesday as striking workers gather inside the stations with placards demanding higher wages.
Workers broke out the protest on Monday to demand the oil supplier to raise their monthly minimum wages to 160 U.S. dollars from the current 110 U.S. dollars.
Talks between worker representatives and company officials were held Tuesday, but produced no fruitful results because the company said it needed a "few months" to consider the workers' proposal, said Sar Mora.
"This is unacceptable to workers," he said, adding that the worker representatives would deliver a petition to the U.S. Embassy to Cambodia on Thursday to seek its intervention in the dispute.
Caltex, a subsidiary of the U.S. oil giant Chevron, opened its first petrol station in Cambodia in 1996.
1 comment:
i am still wondering why the number [for the raise on their wages] stops at 160 ... is it a magical number ? why not a even number 150 or 200 ?
who came up with it... that number will be meaningless in a few months , inflation [ increase price of things/products ] is going up every day....before they know it , these workers will be back asking more money again...
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