Svay Rieng Workers Strike Again, Throw Rocks
Police briefly detained 13 garment factory workers on Thursday after about 20,000 workers, some throwing rocks, continued a strike that began Monday in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet City over wages and working conditions, a union official and police said. Union leaders had on Wednesday evening agreed to call off the strike of workers from 36 factories at two special economic zones (SEZ) in the border province. However, when the workers returned to their jobs Thursday morning, they quickly went back on strike after they learned the details of the deal that had been worked out, said Chheng Chhoan, secretary-general of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers. “They were angry after I announced the agreement did not include a raise to the minimum wage,” Mr. Chhoan said. … Bavet City Deputy Police Chief Kao Horn said that police arrested 13 of the striking workers after they were identified by factory owners as having led the rock throwing. “We received the 13 offenders but they were released at 1 p.m. after we educated them,” Mr. Horn said. Ly Hong Shin, the chairman of the Tai Seng Bavet SEZ, confirmed that the striking workers had thrown rocks at the windows of two factory buildings inside his SEZ. …
Aun Pheap and Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/svay-rieng-workers-strike-again-throw-rocks-49506/
