A group of 21 maintenance workers for the Phnom Penh Municipality yesterday protested outside the prime minister’s house and delivered a petition amid fears of losing their status as government employees and being shifted to a private firm.

In the petition, workers at the Department of Public Works and Transportation – which has about 100 employees – allege that City Hall will transfer some of the department’s jobs to a private company, PPD E&C, to manage the work for 20 years, beginning this year.

Por Kun Ra, a lighting maintenance worker, said the group wanted to continue being state employees.

“We don’t want to change to the private sector because as state employees, we have stability,” he said. “When we are old and retire, we get our pension.”

Mean Chanyada, spokesman for City Hall, said officials will not transfer all the department’s jobs to the company, only a portion, and maintained no one would lose their job.

“If they don’t want to work for the company, they can still work for the lighting unit,” he said referring to those protesting.

The company didn’t respond to a request for comment.