USA garment factory workers block national road

Nearly 400 workers at the USA Fully Field (Cambodia) Garment factory blocked National Road 2 in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district yesterday after fears spread that the factory was winding down operations and that management wouldn’t pay necessary wages once it closed.

Soy Nakri, a worker representative at the factory, said the protest started on Thursday when factory management began removing equipment without telling workers.

While some 60 per cent of machinery remains, Nakri said that workers had not been given any jobs to do since the equipment was taken. …

Yong Leab, an officer with the Free Trade Union, said yesterday that it was all too common for garment workers in Cambodia to run into difficulties when factories unexpectedly shut down. …

A USA garment factory representative, who declined to be named, said negotiations were ongoing, but did not confirm that the factory was closing. The representative said the company agreed to pay $650 for workers who were there from a year to more than 10 years, and $100 for those who worked on a three-month contract. …

Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/usa-garment-factory-workers-block-national-road