Enraged workers smashing glass windows inside the factory administration office (Photo: Chomchao, Koh Santepheap newspaper)
Scene in front of the Tonga factory during the violence (Photo: Chomchao, Koh Santepheap)
Workers destroying documents and smashing computers (Photo: Chomchao, Koh Santepheap)Koh Santepheap Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Phnom Penh – More than 1,000 workers at the Tonga garment factory held a violent demonstration by smashing doors, glass windows in the factory, as well as a number of other equipments, and they caused severe damages to the factory. The workers also threatened to burn down the factory. The violence took place at 9:30 AM on 11 February 2008 at the Tonga factory located in Prey Lvea Village, Chomchao commune, Dangkao district, Phnom Penh city.
The more than 1,000 workers exploded into a demonstration, they were all armed with wooden sticks and steel rods, and they all had pieces of rock in their hands. They forced themselves in and smashed the doors, the glass windows, as well as a number of other equipments including computers inside the factory which were completely destroyed. The workers indicated that they held a strike to ask the factory owner to resolve the labor issue inside the factory for the past two months already, starting since November 2007, but the owner refused to resolve the dispute, not only that, he also decided to close the factory and refused to pay the money owed to the workers, and the workers are left with no other choice but to resort to violence.
The workers added that the long-duration strike led to the current violence, and the strike took place because of the salary the workers used to earn in the past: they are paid with factory tickets, and they were paid a decent salary each month, however, lately, the owners decided to pay them a fixed salary of $50 per month. Because of this change in pay scale, the workers protested and asked the factory owner to resolve this issue with the government appointed arbitrators, the latter decided in favor of the workers (i.e. they should be compensated based on the amount of work they put in), and the owner was ordered to follow the government arbitrators decision. To the contrary, the owner refused to abide by the arbitrators decision, and the strike kept stretching on until the morning of 11 February when the workers could no longer take it and they resorted to using violence.
Another source indicated that when the workers refused to work, the government arbitrators ordered the factory owner to pay 50% of the workers full monthly salary (which was owed to the workers prior to the strike), but the owner decided to ignore this order. On the morning of the incident, the workers smashed doors, glass windows, as well as equipments found in the administration office, but they did not destroy the sewing machines and they stood guard to protect these machines fearing the owner will take them away.
The same source indicated that the factory was closed for a long duration, and the workers claimed that the owner is a crook because he refused to abide by the decision of the government arbitrators in order to weaken the workers. Some source claimed that the owner may be bankrupt and he decided to close the factory. As for the equipments and the sewing machines etc…, they may not belong to the factory owner because they may be rented equipments, that was why the factory owner did not care to resolve this issue until violence occurred.
The more than 1,000 workers exploded into a demonstration, they were all armed with wooden sticks and steel rods, and they all had pieces of rock in their hands. They forced themselves in and smashed the doors, the glass windows, as well as a number of other equipments including computers inside the factory which were completely destroyed. The workers indicated that they held a strike to ask the factory owner to resolve the labor issue inside the factory for the past two months already, starting since November 2007, but the owner refused to resolve the dispute, not only that, he also decided to close the factory and refused to pay the money owed to the workers, and the workers are left with no other choice but to resort to violence.
The workers added that the long-duration strike led to the current violence, and the strike took place because of the salary the workers used to earn in the past: they are paid with factory tickets, and they were paid a decent salary each month, however, lately, the owners decided to pay them a fixed salary of $50 per month. Because of this change in pay scale, the workers protested and asked the factory owner to resolve this issue with the government appointed arbitrators, the latter decided in favor of the workers (i.e. they should be compensated based on the amount of work they put in), and the owner was ordered to follow the government arbitrators decision. To the contrary, the owner refused to abide by the arbitrators decision, and the strike kept stretching on until the morning of 11 February when the workers could no longer take it and they resorted to using violence.
Another source indicated that when the workers refused to work, the government arbitrators ordered the factory owner to pay 50% of the workers full monthly salary (which was owed to the workers prior to the strike), but the owner decided to ignore this order. On the morning of the incident, the workers smashed doors, glass windows, as well as equipments found in the administration office, but they did not destroy the sewing machines and they stood guard to protect these machines fearing the owner will take them away.
The same source indicated that the factory was closed for a long duration, and the workers claimed that the owner is a crook because he refused to abide by the decision of the government arbitrators in order to weaken the workers. Some source claimed that the owner may be bankrupt and he decided to close the factory. As for the equipments and the sewing machines etc…, they may not belong to the factory owner because they may be rented equipments, that was why the factory owner did not care to resolve this issue until violence occurred.
14 comments:
Now, you need to start farming or picking vegetables when you've done with your anger. These violent and uncivilized demonstrators need to be punished for their crimes, and they'll judged in accordance with our law.
The factory owner plays a trick by closing the factory for so long so as to let the workers starve...
Hey 1:41
what's a fucking comment you have posted! How stupid you are! You have to be more fair to our poor workers.
Yeah 6:27PM, I am applauding you man. If the owner solved the issue through the civil way, they wouldn't reacted like this. Our worker has been working hard and the owner ignored the demand. I wish the WTO send their teams to come down and help resolve this matter. Because the cloth factories in Cambodia is buying out the Cambodian politicians not to help our worker. Where is the Labor Rights from WTO?
My tenant has not been paying his rent for 10 months and close to 11 months by the end of February. I took this case to the court of law and the judge ruled out in his favor for now. The case still ongoing. It costs me a great deal of money and time and stress.
Should I hire hit man to eliminate him? The answer (NO and NO)
Should I go to the house and destroy his property? The answer (No and No)
I patient and consistent and beleive that one day the judge will understand.
1:41
How is about Hun Sen grabbing and burning down the people's houses every where in Cambodia? People will get mad when the boss don't pay their salary. If the owner don't listen to the employee, the employees will act this way. Not like in western country; employee can sue and take the owner to court. But in Cambodia the owner gets away. Therefore the only way to solve the problem is to get revenge. No law in Cambodia to protect the poor. The same case as Hun Sen do to poor Cambodian people. They need to stand up and resist Hun Sen regime. They need to do people revolution to teach Hun Sen a lesson and show him who is the boss?
Remember when you go to work, don't bow or respect the owner too much. Don't please him or her. Just do your job. The owner needs the workers to make money; the workers need the owner to get paid. Therefore they're equal and need each other. In Western countries the employees the owner needs to please and treat the employees fairly because it's hard to get an experience workers.
9:09 PM
Experience fruit and vegeteble pickers?
1:07 AM
It's better than working for mistreat employers who take advantage of the poor workers. White employers treat the employees better than Asian or other race employers. I'm rather to work for white folks than Asian. They understand the value of workers.
Pick up the fruit and vegetable in the farm is better than working for the bad company.
So what is your point, dude?
Khmer in Washington DC
i wonder why workers are doing this? i guess they got sick and tired of nobody doing anything about it; nobody listen to their demand or maybe greedy people aren't being fair to them or something. i don't think it is any different from demonstration in the USA, the Philipines, etc., where leadership failed to listen and help the workers, so they have to take things into their own hands. it is call protest and demonstration because when someone in the leadership position failed to act promptly, things can get out of hand. oh my, the cost of freedom!
Next one Ta Kmau!
We have a lot of angry people here in this forum room. Is it time for these expereinced fruit pickers to go to the field, so you can earn low-paying and zero-respect from your white employers, which allow you to support your ghetto living.
Have fun in the field. Oh! Be careful with those fruits, would you!
01:41PM I'm agree with you. we can not authorize such violience to disrupt the society. 50$? So? not enough? Then how much earn the workers in Vietnam? How much earn the workers in China? How much earn the peasants in the countryside? If you are not happy with this salary go back to the farm or be karaoke girl in massage parlor. Period
The workers in Cambodia want the butter and the cream of the butter. We have already good labor law with 48hours works per week, annual leave, public holiday, the right to form union. Compare the situation in other neighbouring countries, not to USA and Europe. Cambodia is far developped as the western countries. OTher there, even simple workers have minimum of good education. Not the case in Cambodia.
To 1:41PM
What law are you talking about?
In Cambodia, business community run AH HUN SEN by give him money to do business and AH HUN SEN turn around run dirt poor Cambodian people off their land with his trucks and bulldozers to create a place for business community unless dirt poor Cambodian people have the fucken money to pay AH HUN SEN!
The fact that Tonga garment factory behaves in such an arrogant manner toward dirt poor Cambodian workers shows that Cambodia doesn't have law!
It is the fucken laws that make people equal and without the fucken law and people will take matter into their own hands!
(Who said it is about cherry picking! If the cherry picking is governed by laws and regulations and maybe it is better to have cherry picking in Cambodia then to have the fucken garment factory!)
This is what happens to humanity when others are being taken advantage of. Although they could have done it in another form, the protestors sent a message and that was their clear goal. It was to show that they are human beings and not to be treated like shit. To all of you who want these protestors liable and punished, think what you would have done in their shoes. Shame on YOU! How dare you, you are not above them. You probably would have done the same thing. They need what they can get and if they're being told lies over and over to a point of exploitation, I see no other way than to go and protest. If you have a better idea to send a message across, go right ahead and do it. Until then shut up and more power to the people.
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