Striking factory workers at MSI Garment (Cambodia) Ltd in Dangkao district defied a judge’s order to return to work, choosing instead to protest the suspension of seven union activists accused of inciting workers to strike, a lawyer for the workers said Monday.
“The problem has become more serious than before,” said Lee Veng, a law assistant with the National Independent Federation of Textile Unions of Kampuchea.
A lawyer for the factory sent a complaint to the Municipal Court on Monday morning accusing seven union activists at the factory of inciting workers to strike.
“Factory owners were incited by the factory administrative chief and his lawyer to file a lawsuit against union activists,” Lee Veng said.
Factory owners declined to comment on Monday.
The suspended activists were Nhim Nhoeun, 20; Sim Veasna, 25; Chhoeun Saroeun, 20; Keo Sodany, 22; Chhoeun Sokna, 21; Mith Naysim, 21; and Rin Sok Roeun, 21.
MSI employees staged an 11-day strike that ended Thursday to protest the suspension of an employee accused of stealing money from the factory.
Suspensions are not justice for workers attempting to reach a resolution with factory owners, said Sien Chhay, chief of the Industrial Textile and Garment Union of MSI, which has 1,000 members. “Today, factory owners suspended seven workers, so how about tomorrow? How many will be fired or suspended?” Sien Chhay said.
Sien Chhay said he was among those beaten by intervention police who broke up a demonstration of striking workers on Thursday. Police used electric batons to hit workers and fired bullets into the air above workers’ heads, he said.
“Police during that time were a cruel tiger that saw meat and chased workers to beat them violently,” Sien Chhay said. He said that he had asked the Garment Manufacturers’ Association in Cambodia to implore NGOs and government officials to help find resolution for the employees who were beaten without cause.
“They hit my wife, too,” Sien Chhay said, adding that he was beaten on his head and back with electric batons.
