Tep Nimol and Vincent MacIsaac
The Phnom Penh Post
Messenger Band - Chivit Kamakor (Factory Workers' Life)
Garment workers who went on strike over delayed payment of wages and other alleged violations of labour law on Tuesday morning were paid on Wednesday by management at the Chea Ieng garment factory in the capital’s Sen Sok district.
Factory employee Sun Sopheak said yesterday that negotiations would continue on 12 other points of contention tomorrow.
“If the negotiations fail, all workers will resume the strike,” she said, adding that they were merely attempting to ensure that the company followed the law.
Employees said they were paid the legal minimum wage of US$61 for 48 hours a week of work, or about 29 cents an hour.
In tomorrow’s negotiations, workers are seeking to have medical staff on duty at the factory, an agreement that all overtime must be voluntary, hygienic toilets and safe drinking water.
They also allege that the factory deducts two day’s wages for every day an employee is absent, and say they will strike if this practice is not ended.
Workers are also demanding that pregnant staff receive paid maternity leave and time off once a month for a health check. By law, the company is required to pay them 50 per cent of their wage for three months of maternity leave.
“In Cambodia, women often wait till they are near delivery before taking maternity leave so they can spend as much time as possible with their infant,” Free Trade Union president Chea Mony said.
“However, because they are paid only half their salary for three months, they are often forced to return to work early to make ends meet.”
Factory employees are also asking for 4,000 riel (about $1) to buy a meal if they work four hours of overtime on top of their eight-hour shifts.
The factory made T-shirts, staff said. It is not a member of the Garment Factories Association of Cambodia and does not have a licence to export goods.
A Chinese-speaking manager of the factory who declined to be named said on Tuesday that the strike was the result of a misunderstanding over the date of payment for salaries.
Mann Seng Hak, secretary-general of the FTU, said the union would support the workers if they decided to strike tomorrow.
2 comments:
Decho Hun Sen, Mr Sam Rainsy asked you to sue him at a French court about your murders of the Khmer people. Why don't you dare to do it as you have done at the Cambodian court?
Being a strong man as well as a Prime Minister of one country, you should not be coward to face the real justice at a French court or International court. Unless, you are the real murderer in Cambodia that is the reason why you fear Mr Sam Rainsy at a real and fair justice court.
Decho Hun Sen, you rubbed the Cambodian people's well being, health care, dignity and sell Cambodia out to Vietnam in a cheap price as long as you can stay in power. Isn't that true, Samdach Decho Hun Sen?
How many Cambodian people's lives have you killed in your lifetime so far? Can you be honest to tell the truth?
As one Prime Minister of one country, you job is to bully your own people for just talking about Paris Peace agreement 1991 and about Vietnam's encroachments into Cambodia's territory. Why?
Samdach Decho Hun Sen, Why are you so scared of the truth? Why are you so scared of Mr Sam Rainsy when he asked you to sue him at a French court? You are a strong man as you claimed on the TV screen?
Samdach Decho Hun Sen, you shouldn't be scared of Mr Sam Rainsy because Mr Sam Rainsy has no weapon of mass destruction as you do. You are the murderer; you must be strong to face Mr Sam Rainsy at a French court as Mr Sam Rainsy has invited you to do so.
Samdach Decho billion dollars Hun Sen, Please face Mr Sam Rainsy as Mr Sam Rainsy has invited you through the world media. You used to win on Mr Sam Rainsy many times in a Cambodian court of justice. There is no reason why you should be worred about...if you have never killed anyone in Cambodia. Isn’t it true, Decho Sen?
The Cambodian people hope to see Samdach Decho Hun Sen has the gut as a leader or a man to sue Mr Sam Rainsy at a French court as Mr Sam Rainsy has invited Samdach Decho many times through Radio and world media.
Be a man Decho Sen! One in your life be a man Decho Sen! Be a man to face Mr Sam Rainsy at France court and international court.
We are personal bodyguards of Samdach Decho would like to see Decho Hun Sen be a man with Mr Sam Rainsy at a French Court. Otherwise, Samdach Decho is not worthy to protect because why do we have to die for protecting a traitor, a murderer, a blood sucker. Isn’t it true, Samdach Decho Hun Sen? Do you agree with that?
In Europe the companies sell one T-Shirt for about 7 $ or even more.
Who makes all that money but dares to pay 29 Cents per hour to the workers in Cambodia?
It is so ashaming...
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