Garment union president in court over incitement allegations
Ath Thorn, the president of the union that led strikes at the SL Garment Factory last year, appeared before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday for questioning over allegations of incitement. The Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU), headed by Mr. Thorn, spearheaded months of protests against the management of the SL Factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district last year. The strikes turned violent on November 12 when police officers armed with pistols and striking workers armed with rocks clashed during a street protest. One woman was killed. Mr. Thorn said after the questioning Tuesday that the prosecutor had recommended he be charged with inciting the strikes after receiving multiple complaints. … CCAWDU members finally called off their strike in the beginning of December after SL management agreed to demands including the payment of half of workers’ salaries during the strike and the removal of Meas Sotha, a shareholder blamed for suppressing union activity, from day-to-day operations at the factory. In a statement Monday, unionized workers at SL said that they had still not been paid the wages promised to them in the strike-ending deal. They also complained that Mr. Sotha is still employing heavy-handed tactics in managing workers at the factory. …
Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/garment-union-president-in-court-over-incitement-allegations-56136/
