U.S. sports giant Nike has said it is “concerned” by allegations that Cambodian police used force while trying to quash a protest by workers at one of its supplier factories in Kompong Speu on Monday.
“As outlined in Nike’s Code of Conduct, Nike requires its contract manufacturers to respect their employees’ rights to freedom of association,” said Ryan Greenwood, head of communications for Nike U.K. and Ireland, in an email.
On Monday, about 4,000 workers from Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment MFG Corp. —who have been protesting for additional wages since May 20—briefly clashed with police. The workers from the Samraong Tong district factory are demanding a 1,000 riel (about $0.25) bonus for every overtime hour worked and $8 a month for transportation.
On Thursday, protests continued, albeit briefly, with 2,000 workers blocking the road for a few hours.
Sun Vanny, a Free Trade Union representative, said workers had only demonstrated in the morning because they had been given the rest of the week off.
