Around 400 workers tried to remove factory supplies from moving trucks after the owner of the factory refused to pay them one-month’s salary and tried to vacate the factory, a police official said Sunday.
The workers, who filed a complaint with Russei Keo district authorities against the owner of the Ly Cheng factory for wages and to prevent the owner from leaving the country, also held a brief protest Sunday morning, Russei Keo district police Chief Ly Lay said.
Neither the Ly Cheng factory nor the owner could be reached for comment Sunday. Van Sou Ieng, president of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, said the Ly Leng garment factory is not part of that umbrella organization.
The incident started Saturday night when workers from the factory tried to meet with Ly Cheng and discuss the one month’s pay owed to them, Ly Lay said. The owner was not at the meeting, but appeared later with moving trucks, and began to clear out the factory, Ly Lay said.
The workers raided some of the trucks and destroyed some factory goods. Police had no damage estimate, and did not know how much the workers are owed, Ly Lay said.
The laborers staged a short strike Sunday at the factory, but dispersed at 9 am after officials from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs asked them to leave, Ly Lang said.
Hout Chanthy, acting director of labor inspection at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, was not aware that any Ministry officials intervened in the matter. The ministry is closed on Sunday.
