More than 2,000 garment workers at a Vattanac II Industrial Park protested in front of the complex, threatening to block National Road 3 and demanding the reinstatement of 11 union officials and the firing of the manager who allegedly dismissed them.

Employees at Dongdu Textile began striking on Saturday evening after management dismissed Brack Mey and Chim Chan Lon, two representatives of the Cambodia Union Workers Labour for Development, saying their contracts had expired, said Chhin Sony, president of the Union of Cambodia, who aided union members in negotiating yesterday.

“Workers continued protesting on Monday, and then nine more union representatives were suspended from work for instigating the strike,” Sony said.

Negotiations fell through yesterday because the union’s demands were unreasonable, said Rocky Chhay, the vice director they demanded the company fire.

Despite accusations that Mey and Chan Lon were fired because of their unionist activism, Chhay insisted, their contracts had come to an end and Dongdu is well within their rights not to extend their employment.