More than 4,000 workers returned to work at a Kampong Cham-based footwear company after the company agreed to eventually negotiate with workers on demands the company had refused.

The employees at Chinese-owned Juhui Footwear Co, Ltd, walked out on Friday, with 18 demands of their employers.

Juhui officials agreed to 15 of them, but wouldn’t budge on a $3 raise to their monthly transportation payments, a $5 monthly healthcare allowance or paying attendance bonuses in proportion to how much work employees miss (rather than losing the entire bonus by missing a day).

“There are three more points that the factory did not agree, but we will get back to work because a factory representative promised the workers that in three months, they will discuss the workers’ remaining issues,” said Soung Liza, a worker representative.

Workers, most of whom unionised with the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) in June, were also asked not to protest on company premises, Liza added.

On Saturday, Juhui agreed to pay sick leave and overtime transportation costs, and to introduce onsite doctors, Kong Athit, C.CAWDU’s vice-president, said this week.