Workers Say Large Military Police Presence at SL Factory
More than 100 military police officers stood guard outside a garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district on Monday and prevented workers from returning to work, employees and local officials said. Workers from Singaporean-owned SL Garment Factory—which makes clothing for U.S. brands Levi’s and Gap—have been striking for more than a month to demand a lunch stipend, the reinstatement of fired union leaders and the firing of company adviser Meas Sotha, who allegedly brought in plainclothes military police officers to guard two SL-owned factories. The strike turned violent Friday, when protesting workers began rioting and damaged factory property. … “They stopped people who wanted to work from going inside,” [SL Garment Factory worker] Mr. [Ouch] Noeun said, adding that the factory had posted an announcement outside saying that the company would only be paying the workers half of their wages for September due to the strike. “We cannot accept this announcement because each worker would receive about $10 a week for the month,” he said, adding that workers should be paid for the entire month they went on strike. … Khieu Savuth, chief of the labor conflict resolution department at the Ministry of Social Affairs, said his ministry will be meeting with the company and union representatives soon to find a solution. …
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/workers-say-large-military-police-presence-at-sl-factory-43060/
