Some 200 garment workers on Monday marched 7 km from their Kompong Cham province factory to the provincial labor department to deliver a petition demanding the reinstatement of three fired union representatives.
Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU), led the striking workers from the Manhattan Textile and Garment Corp. factory in Kompong Siem district to the labor department, where officials refused to accept a petition, before moving on to the headquarters of the provincial government, where an official did receive the document.
The workers have been on strike since December 22 because the factory defied an Arbitration Council ruling ordering managers to allow three leaders of the Cambodia Alliance Trade Union, which is a member of the CCU, to return to work.
Mr. Chhun said the workers would gather outside the provincial government headquarters again on Friday if their complaint was not dealt with.
“We feel sorrow that the employer and authorities have ignored [requests] to intervene,” he said. Provincial governor Lun Limthai said it was not his place to intervene.
“It is the duty of the Ministry of Labor and Arbitration Council and employer,” he said.
