Labor Ministry Hands Out Anti-Strike Leaflets
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The Ministry of Labor has distributed thousands of leaflets in garment factories urging workers not to join a Monday general strike for wage increases, warning that the strike could damage the national economy and cause violence.
The leaflets, dated Friday and distributed in Phnom Penh and Kandal province factories on Tuesday, urge workers to negotiate over their salaries rather than participate in the strike, which has been called by the Free Trade Union.
"The demonstration will affect public order or even cause violence, and this action will lead to the loss of personal benefit for the family and national economy," read the leaflets, which bear the Ministry of Labor logo.
"Any withdrawal or transfer of investments from Cambodia to other countries, or the collapse of factories because of the effect on the production process, means we are destroying our own cooking pots," the leaflets add.
Minister of Labor Vong Sauth said the leaflets were intended to inform workers, not intimidate them.
"I printed the leaflet for them to look at. Whether to read it or not is up to them," he said.
FTU President Chea Mony said the ministry should have contacted the union about the strike instead.
The FTU is not concerned that factories will fire strikers or that the police will beat them, he added.
"The international community will blame the government if the government uses force against the workers," he said.
The FTU is demanding that the $45 monthly wage be raised to $80 in return for calling off the strike.
Chhoun Mom Thol, president of the CPP-affiliated Cambodian Unions Federation President and an adviser to Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, said that he has distributed his union's own leaflets urging workers not to join the strike. "The strike is illegal," he said.
Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, said that the organization's members have permission to participate.
"We will also call for a strike if the Labor Advisory Committee fails to raise the wage to $82 in July," he said.
The leaflets, dated Friday and distributed in Phnom Penh and Kandal province factories on Tuesday, urge workers to negotiate over their salaries rather than participate in the strike, which has been called by the Free Trade Union.
"The demonstration will affect public order or even cause violence, and this action will lead to the loss of personal benefit for the family and national economy," read the leaflets, which bear the Ministry of Labor logo.
"Any withdrawal or transfer of investments from Cambodia to other countries, or the collapse of factories because of the effect on the production process, means we are destroying our own cooking pots," the leaflets add.
Minister of Labor Vong Sauth said the leaflets were intended to inform workers, not intimidate them.
"I printed the leaflet for them to look at. Whether to read it or not is up to them," he said.
FTU President Chea Mony said the ministry should have contacted the union about the strike instead.
The FTU is not concerned that factories will fire strikers or that the police will beat them, he added.
"The international community will blame the government if the government uses force against the workers," he said.
The FTU is demanding that the $45 monthly wage be raised to $80 in return for calling off the strike.
Chhoun Mom Thol, president of the CPP-affiliated Cambodian Unions Federation President and an adviser to Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, said that he has distributed his union's own leaflets urging workers not to join the strike. "The strike is illegal," he said.
Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, said that the organization's members have permission to participate.
"We will also call for a strike if the Labor Advisory Committee fails to raise the wage to $82 in July," he said.
1 comment:
AH Vong Sauth and AH Chhoun Mom Thol and AH Sar Kheng are worrying about their bottom line! If these bastards don't care about their bottom line and why do they care so much about Cambodian factory workers go on strike! Why? Why? Why? I mean these bastards use $850 to create $45 jobs for Cambodian people to work! Actually these bastards are paying Cambodian people to be poor and the rest of the money they go straight to their pocket! These bastards use leaflets with the following catchy phrases such " collapse of factories and we are destroying our own cooking pots
to scare Cambodian workers! I just hope it is these bastard who are the one that have to up some corruption money so that poor Cambdian people will have enough money to put food on the table! I won't shed a tear for these motherfuckers!
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