The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training has paid the wages and benefits owed to 144 of the 420 former workers of the shuttered Malaysian-owned factory Canteran Apparel (Cambodia) Co Ltd as of August 21, according to ministry spokesman Heng Sour.

The remark comes after Prime Minister Hun Sen on August 17 ordered the ministry to speed up payment to the workers. Located in Trapaing Thloeng 3 village, Chaom Chao I commune, Por Sen Chey district, Phnom Penh, the factory was closed in 2020 amid the Covid-19 crisis, citing a lack of orders. After months of protests, the workers sought the intervention of the prime minister.

Sour told The Post that the ministry has earmarked $600,000 to be paid to the workers, in a process handled by its Committee for the Resolution of Strikes.

On August 18, the ministry agreed to pay the last month’s unpaid wages, as well as three classes of benefits: annual leave allowance, seniority payment, and back pay seniority payment accrued before 2019.

Tes Rukhaphal, the committee’s secretary-general, told The Post that workers could collect their payments during working hours, noting that the amounts provided would differ depending on seniority.

San Sopha, a union representative, said the government aid was most welcome, but was unsure if the payments were in accordance with the law.

Sopha believes that there are an additional two classes of benefits which should be paid: pay in lieu of notice, and mental distress compensation. She claimed that the workers are in the process of suing the factory owner for the two additional forms of compensation.

“The workers are still complaining, as the payment is not as high as it should be under the law.”