A garment factory will prolong its monthlong closure until at least July 9, when the Arbitration Council Foundation rules on a case brought by its workers.

Ocean Garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district announced on May 24 that it would cease operations until today, paying workers $15 for the month. Employees balked at the amount, demanding their full pay during the downtime.

“This case is already in the hand of Arbitration Council, and the workers still demand 100 per cent,” said Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW), after the council heard the case yesterday.

Management has tried to negotiate with workers, but they have refused to accept anything less than that, Ocean deputy general manager Salayddin Ahmed said.

Ocean was forced to stop production when Gap Inc, the factory’s sole buyer, ceased orders, citing unreliable deliveries due to frequent strikes.