By Media Consulting and Development
Nearly 40 Cambodian laborers who have been returned home from neighboring Thailand have accused recruitment firm Top Manpower of committing deceit by failing to follow the contracts they signed before being sent to work in a rubber-processing factory, newspapers report.
Prior to their return one of the workers told Kek Galabru, president of Cambodian human organization Licadho, by phone from Thailand that they could not stand working at the Southland Resource Factory in Thailand’s Nakhon Si province as they were receiving salaries that differed from the level agreed upon in the work agreements, according to Rasmei Kampuchea in its Wednesday edition.
Returnee Heng Saroeun, who left Cambodia in late January, said that according to the contracts he would be paid 250 baht (nearly US$7.5) for eight hours of work per day plus free accommodation and three daily meals, but in reality he received only 170 baht (about US$5) for 10 hours of work per day without the promised room and board, reports Cambodge Soir. Following negotiation, the factory agreed to offer each worker 15 kilograms of milled rice, added the Kompong Cham provincial resident.
Licadho official Hun Seang Hak, said that 43 Cambodian workers at the rubber factory quit last week due to the failure to implement the contracts, the bad smell from the rubber and the fact that their passports were confiscated as a guarantee for deductions from their salaries for debts owed to Top Manpower, wrote Rasmei Kampuchea.
The 43 workers appealed to Licadho for intervention enabling a return to Cambodia, but only 37 of them have come back, because the remaining six decided to continue work at the factory on the grounds that they have too much debt in their home country, reports Samleng Yuvechun Khmer.
The return comes after Kek Galabru traveled to Thailand Sunday and met rights partners and officials from the International Organization for Migration there, who agreed to pay for the transportation of the workers through the Poipet border checkpoint, continues the newspaper.
Some of the returnees are demanding compensation from Top Manpower, claiming they spent a great deal of money before getting work in Thailand.
“We borrowed from other people to be able to depart for work in Thailand , hoping to earn much. In that country, we were not touring. We went there to do hard work. But we were cheated,” Cambodge Soir quotes Heng Saroeun as saying.
Kek Galabru said that her group would interview the 37 returnees to find out exactly what had happened and would then decide what next steps should be taken, according to the newspaper.
In response to Top Manpower’s alleged failure to follow the contracts, the firm’s general director, Orn Bun Hak told Rasmei Kampuchea that the workers did perform eight hours to 10 hours per day and obtained only 140 baht to 170 baht because they were not accustomed to the work, as they had just done the first month of a probation period.
Even during that period, the workers insisted on 230 baht to 250 baht in wages, he explained, adding that the company could not agree to the request as they remained in the list of probation staff.
“They wanted the contracts to be respected, but they failed to think of the Thai law that stipulates period of trial. First, they had to get used to work before they could work with normal salaries,” said the company’s manager, reports Cambodge Soir.
“Immediately workers phoned and told me they were working like machines and it was really difficult….Of course, it is so. It is a hard job. And they had never done the work before. They are farmers who can rest whenever they want to do so to smoke or sing for fun,” added Orn Bun Hak. “It is difficult to work with Cambodian workers, who once did more farming rather than contractual work for two years.”
He said that another more than 100 Cambodian laborers could be returned home before their two-year employment contracts expire, concludes the newspaper.
Prior to their return one of the workers told Kek Galabru, president of Cambodian human organization Licadho, by phone from Thailand that they could not stand working at the Southland Resource Factory in Thailand’s Nakhon Si province as they were receiving salaries that differed from the level agreed upon in the work agreements, according to Rasmei Kampuchea in its Wednesday edition.
Returnee Heng Saroeun, who left Cambodia in late January, said that according to the contracts he would be paid 250 baht (nearly US$7.5) for eight hours of work per day plus free accommodation and three daily meals, but in reality he received only 170 baht (about US$5) for 10 hours of work per day without the promised room and board, reports Cambodge Soir. Following negotiation, the factory agreed to offer each worker 15 kilograms of milled rice, added the Kompong Cham provincial resident.
Licadho official Hun Seang Hak, said that 43 Cambodian workers at the rubber factory quit last week due to the failure to implement the contracts, the bad smell from the rubber and the fact that their passports were confiscated as a guarantee for deductions from their salaries for debts owed to Top Manpower, wrote Rasmei Kampuchea.
The 43 workers appealed to Licadho for intervention enabling a return to Cambodia, but only 37 of them have come back, because the remaining six decided to continue work at the factory on the grounds that they have too much debt in their home country, reports Samleng Yuvechun Khmer.
The return comes after Kek Galabru traveled to Thailand Sunday and met rights partners and officials from the International Organization for Migration there, who agreed to pay for the transportation of the workers through the Poipet border checkpoint, continues the newspaper.
Some of the returnees are demanding compensation from Top Manpower, claiming they spent a great deal of money before getting work in Thailand.
“We borrowed from other people to be able to depart for work in Thailand , hoping to earn much. In that country, we were not touring. We went there to do hard work. But we were cheated,” Cambodge Soir quotes Heng Saroeun as saying.
Kek Galabru said that her group would interview the 37 returnees to find out exactly what had happened and would then decide what next steps should be taken, according to the newspaper.
In response to Top Manpower’s alleged failure to follow the contracts, the firm’s general director, Orn Bun Hak told Rasmei Kampuchea that the workers did perform eight hours to 10 hours per day and obtained only 140 baht to 170 baht because they were not accustomed to the work, as they had just done the first month of a probation period.
Even during that period, the workers insisted on 230 baht to 250 baht in wages, he explained, adding that the company could not agree to the request as they remained in the list of probation staff.
“They wanted the contracts to be respected, but they failed to think of the Thai law that stipulates period of trial. First, they had to get used to work before they could work with normal salaries,” said the company’s manager, reports Cambodge Soir.
“Immediately workers phoned and told me they were working like machines and it was really difficult….Of course, it is so. It is a hard job. And they had never done the work before. They are farmers who can rest whenever they want to do so to smoke or sing for fun,” added Orn Bun Hak. “It is difficult to work with Cambodian workers, who once did more farming rather than contractual work for two years.”
He said that another more than 100 Cambodian laborers could be returned home before their two-year employment contracts expire, concludes the newspaper.
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