On 30 Nov 2007, opposition leader Sam Rainsy left a plenary session of the National Assembly to go to support some 2,000 workers on strike at Fortune Garment & Wollen Knitting Factory, in Roka Khpous commune, Sa'ang district, Kandal province (Photo: SRP)30 November 2007
By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) warns on Friday that a national strike will take place if there is no resolution for workers at the Fortune garment factory, following a violent breakup by the police against striking workers there.
Chea Mony, FTUWKC President, criticized the police breakup, calling it an inhumane violation of the law which will create a bigger problem, if the government still keeps on using this method.
Chea Mony said: “I am not threatening, sometimes, the workers are not happy about the Kandal police violence. They can hold a strike nationwide, nobody knows how the workers will react and no one knows how to prevent them from doing so. This is why we are calling on the Cambodian government, and in particular the Kandal provincial police, to refrain from using violence when it is not warranted.”
On Thursday, about 2,000 garment workers from the Fortune Garment and Woolen Knitting Company, located in Roka Khpous commune, Sa’ang district, Kandal province, have gathered to strike by refusing to work because the factory owner plans to fire 200 workers.
The strike was broken up by the Kandal provincial police who used tear gas, and shot several rounds on the striking workers. The breakup led to 3 injured workers and 4 workers representatives were arrested.
Chan Kiri, the Sa’ang district governor, said that the break up took place because the strikers throw objects at them first when the cops tried to ease up the traffic jam.
Since then, the 4 arrested workers representatives have already been released. Oum Visal, FTUWKC Secretary-general, declared that he will continue to send his complaint to the tribunal about the injuries caused on the workers during the police breakup.
Oum Visal said: “On our side, we don’t want to see any problem arising. Several workers have been injured, but the police usually charge the workers instead, it accuses the workers of using violence on the cops. In reality, the workers never use violence on the police before the police uses violence on the workers. Therefore, we ask the government to end this situation, in particular the use of guns to shoot and threaten the workers during strikes. Otherwise, it is a severe violation of the workers’ rights.”
Today, the workers are still continuing their strikes. On the other hand, Sok Hak, the deputy director of the Fortune factory, indicated his pleasure about the progress of the negotiations leading to a resolution with the workers.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy who is holding the strike with the workers indicated that he cannot accept this violent type of police breakup, he will continue to observe the situation until a resolution can be found for the workers.
Chea Mony, FTUWKC President, criticized the police breakup, calling it an inhumane violation of the law which will create a bigger problem, if the government still keeps on using this method.
Chea Mony said: “I am not threatening, sometimes, the workers are not happy about the Kandal police violence. They can hold a strike nationwide, nobody knows how the workers will react and no one knows how to prevent them from doing so. This is why we are calling on the Cambodian government, and in particular the Kandal provincial police, to refrain from using violence when it is not warranted.”
On Thursday, about 2,000 garment workers from the Fortune Garment and Woolen Knitting Company, located in Roka Khpous commune, Sa’ang district, Kandal province, have gathered to strike by refusing to work because the factory owner plans to fire 200 workers.
The strike was broken up by the Kandal provincial police who used tear gas, and shot several rounds on the striking workers. The breakup led to 3 injured workers and 4 workers representatives were arrested.
Chan Kiri, the Sa’ang district governor, said that the break up took place because the strikers throw objects at them first when the cops tried to ease up the traffic jam.
Since then, the 4 arrested workers representatives have already been released. Oum Visal, FTUWKC Secretary-general, declared that he will continue to send his complaint to the tribunal about the injuries caused on the workers during the police breakup.
Oum Visal said: “On our side, we don’t want to see any problem arising. Several workers have been injured, but the police usually charge the workers instead, it accuses the workers of using violence on the cops. In reality, the workers never use violence on the police before the police uses violence on the workers. Therefore, we ask the government to end this situation, in particular the use of guns to shoot and threaten the workers during strikes. Otherwise, it is a severe violation of the workers’ rights.”
Today, the workers are still continuing their strikes. On the other hand, Sok Hak, the deputy director of the Fortune factory, indicated his pleasure about the progress of the negotiations leading to a resolution with the workers.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy who is holding the strike with the workers indicated that he cannot accept this violent type of police breakup, he will continue to observe the situation until a resolution can be found for the workers.
15 comments:
Mr. Sam Rainsey! Mr. Sam Rainsey! Mr. Sam Rainsey! Vote for the Sam Rainsey Party in 2008!!!!!!!!
How much can the people take? The non violent gathering shall not be punished by police forces. The democracy in the corrupted government in many ways ends up with a coup of a powerful military man. Cambodian has many 4 stars generals. When will these generals see the painful workers in the country? Many of them either get cheat by the rich or the authority.
Cambodia shall look out side and take the opportunity to protect the peoples. Thailand bloodless coup removes a corrupted government. Pakistan military ousted the corrupted government.
It is time for Cambodian to see the benefit the coup. A democracy will follow after the clean-up. Let look further. SRP cannot achieve the better government unless one or two clean up are complete.
I was trying to find the reason for the strike, and all I find is from the report is this:
On Thursday, about 2,000 garment workers from the Fortune Garment and Woolen Knitting Company, located in Roka Khpous commune, Sa’ang district, Kandal province, have gathered to strike by refusing to work because the factory owner plans to fire 200 workers.
Is company in Cambodia allowed to restructure and layoff people?
Who is running the businesses here, the workers?
If these are not troublemakers, I don't know what is.
And what type of company would want to invest in a jungle such as this?
All these monkeys must be stopped for the sake of the country, in particular Ah Chea Mony. We can't afforded to lose businesses over nonsenses.
Hey! Cambodian workers should have some kind of dignity and not be treated like animal for one dollars a day!
Nobody is stopping those so called Companies from moving to Vietname! I just wish the Companies would move much sooner because they are taking space from legit businesses!
It seems the Viet people want to be treated like animal and the Viet have those Companies from Cambodia as their pride and joy! Ahhahahah
Such a bad economic model which force dirt people to work for nothing! Any Company that is in business to steal food from dirt poor people has got to go! Please just go and don't come back!
Oh zip it!
"factory owner plans to fire 200 workers!" ahhahahhah!
So every fucken time the fucken factory want to restructure and it has to fire worker? Ahahhahhah!
What is so fucken wrong about making public announcement or send letters to dirt poor Cambodian workers and telling them politely that 200 workers will be laid off due to the bottom line!
Please understand that laid off worker is not the same thing as fire worker! When the fucken Companies start to fire workers because the fucken Companies hate the workers for not doing certain thing for the Companies!
Next time if you refuse to have sex with your boss and the Company has to right to fire you! Ahahhahh!
It is so amazing to know that dirt poor Cambodian workers make one dollar a day and yet these so called Companies still don't make any profit? Ahhahhahhahhah!
Cambodia desperately needs new economic model!
Come on dude, you know fair well that if company can't grow, they will died.
Would buy stock in such company?
They need to cut workers to open up for more profit. "Fire, cut workers, layoff permanently" are all the same shits.
Plus, I am sure that they informed the workers about the change. How else would the workers known about the plan to get rid of 200 workers?
To 1:28AM!
Hey fool! You don't even know the meaning of the English terminology and yet you pretend to talk like an expert! Ahahhahhahah!
I don't know where you get your fucken education because you seem to confuse yourself even more with your crude understanding of the English language!
Do you have any proof that the fucken Company informed dirt poor Cambodian workers ahead of time?
"Fire worker" is not the same as "laid off worker"!
True, but it is the same as "cut back staffs".
Whay about let off forever and fire!
Buy the way who need English lesson? jiust fact and problem!
Why the fucken bastart police force shoot at unarm ladies?
Plese UN reform this gansters!!!!to give us real democracy as Paris agrement!
Police don't shoot people for the fun of it. If you provoked them, they will response.
EK-Uddom,
Tuors Chea Yang-Na, Saum Metta Komm Rut Choal Puork Kammkor Krei-kror Tauch-tach.
Orkun Tuk Chea Mun!
Most of the garment workers are poor women and to shoot a woman and called yourself a man? Ahhahahhahhahah!
Hey, they may be poor, but they aint no sissies like westerner women.
Post a Comment