More than 40 workers from Cheng Yuan (Cambodia) Printer Garment Factory reached a settlement yesterday with their employer, who agreed to pay their rightful wages and assured them of improved working conditions.
The workers had gone on a protest, demanding the factory owner respect the labour laws and their rights, and yesterday all parties settled the issue.
Por Sen Chey district deputy governor Khim Sunsoda said the owner of the factory, located at Prey Pring Tbong 2 village, Chom Chao 3 commune, refused to pay the workers’ wages as promised and pressured them at the workplace.
He said the workers finally agreed to negotiate with the owner, who will pay them on August 21.
“The workers did not face any problems before the protest. However, lately, the workers wanted to resign voluntarily and the owner agreed to pay them on the 10th of each month.
“However, on that particular date, the owner refused to pay, causing them to stage a protest,” he said.
A female worker, who did not wish to be identified, said the owner did not keep his promise despite more than 40 workers resigning from the factory.
“When workers asked for a day off because of an emergency, or if they were ill but did not provide a medical document, their wages were not deducted. But from this month, the owner deducted the wages for even permitted off days.
The owner even deducted one week’s wages if a worker did not turn up for work for a single day. If workers fall sick and request for three days off, they deducted 21 days’ salary and it’s almost a month’s income.
“That’s why we protested and asked the factory owner to respect our rights,” she said.
Collective Union of Movement of Workers president Pave Sina said the owner had acted unlawfully by deducting the employees’ salaries and monthly incentives when they requested for leave.
“This is a rare case. But it happens in small factories because owners do not follow labour rules and act as they pleased. I think the authorities should pay more attention to such cases because it affects the workers’ livelihoods,” he said.
