Three Free Trade Union activists will be questioned Wednesday over allegations that they incited an illegal, weeklong strike at Phnom Penh’s Zheng Yung garment factory earlier this month, union and factory lawyers said Thursday.
According to copies of the summonses issued Tuesday, Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Kong Seth called the factory’s FTU leader, Sear Bunsong, 28, and activists Thy Chenda and Uch Saroeun for questioning over a lawsuit that was filed by the factory for financial damages caused by a seven-day strike.
Kong Seth could not be reached for comment.
“The workers have been sued because their protest made the factory lose profit,” said the union’s lawyer, Som Chandina. “But it is the right of the workers to protest because the boss doesn’t respect the Labor Law,” he said.
Factory lawyer Lim Vanna said the issue was whether the union members had led the strike in accordance with the Labor Law, which requires notification and recourse to the Arbitration Council prior to the strike taking place.
“We are asking for damages,” he said. “They did this against the Labor Law, they did not go through the Labor Ministry or Arbitration Council.”
He said the factory was acting on the paid advice of controversial disbarred lawyer David Chanaiwa.
“I told the factory to calculate the damages from the seven day-work stoppage,” Chanaiwa said Thursday.
Uch Saroeun said that the strike was peaceful and legal.
“We informed the factory about the protest seven days in advance,” he said.
