About 40 workers fainted on the job at a Chinese-owned garment factory in Phnom Penh Monday, following a previous mass fainting on Friday, officials said.
The Chun Chao factory in Pur Senchey district’s Choam Chao commune saw about 20 workers faint on Friday, after which the factory’s staff were given the weekend off, according to Va Sarong, the deputy commune chief.
He suggested the workers had exhausted themselves by attending weddings during their days off, leading to Monday’s repeat fainting.
“After the previous fainting, the owner of the factory allowed all workers to have two days off and come back to work today, but some of them participated in their friends’ and relatives’ weddings,” Mr. Sarong said.
“When they came to work this morning, they were too exhausted to work because they did not sleep enough, and so some of them fainted and terrified others, who then immediately fainted too,” he said, adding that the workers were treated at a private clinic near the factory.
Lim Hangkong, the administrative manager of Chun Chao, said the Labor Ministry had ordered the factory to let the afflicted workers have the rest of the week off.
“Labor Ministry officials came to inspect and allowed the fainting workers to rest and come back to work on Friday without cutting wages,” he said.
