Ocean Factory Dispute Headed to Arbitration Council

The Ministry of Labor on Friday referred the ongoing Ocean factory labor dispute to the Arbitration Council, after another round of failed negotiations between workers and factory management.

Workers have been holding ongoing protests for three weeks after management announced it would pay workers only $15 this month after the factory suspended operations on May 26 because of a lack of orders.

Vong Sovan, deputy director general of the Ministry of Labor’s general department of labor conflict, said the ministry met with workers, management and unions for two hours Friday and in the end decided to send the case to the non-binding council.

“This is the final agreement by the factory and union to send the case together to the Arbitration Council,” he said.

Cheng Chhan, a worker representative from the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, said they were optimistic about the outcome.

“If this case is sent to the Arbitration Council, we will get justice because they can see what the problem of the workers is,” he said. Chhim Sophat, a factory administrator, said they would respect the decision of the council.

An official at the Arbitration Council, who declined to be named, said the body has already made its decision on the case, but did not know when it would be announced.

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