Some 700 protesters from Luen Thai Garment Ltd have returned to work after the factory reinstated a fired union leader, factory and union officials said Sunday.
Eam Youlong—president of his local union—is returning to work at Luen Thai Garment Ltd, but must provide a statement from local officials that he has no criminal record, he said by phone Monday.
His dismissal sparked a strike last week. All of the workers had returned to work by Saturday, according to a Luen Thai statement. Cambodian labor law prohibits union leaders with criminal records.
There was confusion earlier between local district police, the factory and the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia as to whether Eam Youlong had been involved in a traffic accident and owed victims money.
Em Sokleang, deputy governor of Meanchey district, said Monday that there would be “no problem” signing a document certifying that Eam Youlong has no criminal record.
In its statement from its Hong Kong headquarters, Luen Thai said reiterated its positon that it is committed to “practicing the highest standard of worker care in the industry.”
But the company also maintained that the union staged what appeared to be an illegal strike and that union members tried to prevent workers from entering the factory compound.
