Two women sustained minor injuries outside the Kin Tai garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district when police armed with AK-47s, batons and shields dispersed a group of mostly peaceful female strikers on Thursday.
The group of striking workers were blocking Kin Tai’s front doors Thursday when roughly 30 police officers broke up the demonstration.
During the clash, an unidentified worker threw a plastic bag with something heavy inside at Meanchey district Deputy police Chief Em Lim Hel.
Ros Chanthy, one of the injured strikers, asserted that police “violated the workers” and that the demonstration outside the factory was peaceful until authorities arrived.
“We are women and didn’t damage the factory’s property,” said another worker, Meas Sovanara.
Nov Titha, the Khmer Youth Union leader, said workers want negotiations to get underway with factory officials over nine issues related to better working conditions in the factory.
The workers are demanding annual bonuses, an on-site baby feeding center and the firing of factory lawyer Sar Samnang, who workers accuse of encouraging factory management to cease negotiations, Nov Titha said.
Sar Samnang said Thursday that the workers had already submitted their nine demands and that the Arbitration Council has denied their requests.
“They are still against the Arbitration Council’s decision,” Samnang said. “They don’t know or understand Labor Law.”
Earlier this month about 90 factory Kin Tai workers protested in front of Phnom Penh Municipal Court after a judge also ordered the workers to return to their jobs.
The workers have been striking since March 25, but they have not yet submitted to the decisions of the court and the Arbitration Council demanding they return to work.
Cheat Khemara, a senior labor consultant with the Garment Manufacturing Association of Cambodia, said that the workers were knowingly continuing their strike in the hope of getting fired and receiving unemployment compensation.
Kin Tai factory reduced its staff in March to only 300 workers after receiving an order from company officials abroad.
“They fear the factory might go bankrupt,” Cheat Khemara said.
