Workers at a Kampot province cement factory began striking yesterday, protesting late payment of their salaries for May.

The 224 employees of Cambodia Cement Chakrey Ting Factory in Kampot’s Teuk Chhou district said the company was supposed to pay them at the end of May but that workers have yet to receive the money owed to them.

“We are protesting, because as of now our salary is more than 10 days late,” said one employee, who declined to be named. “We will go back to work if the company pays us. But we are afraid the company may close, and we need our salary,” he said. The factory was also late paying salaries last month, he added.

Provincial labour department director Ung Poheng yesterday said he contacted the company’s Phnom Penh branch to ask about the late payments.

“The company is working on this issue and management said they will pay the salaries, so workers should stop worrying about it,” Poheng said.