Garment Workers Set Tires on Fire as Tax Protest Continues
About 600 garment factory workers continued their strike in Phnom Penh yesterday, setting car tires alight to protest what they said were unfair salary cuts but factory representatives and labor officials described as a normal tax on income. “The factory told us that they cut our salaries because they need to pay taxes to the government, but I don’t understand why they do that,” said Pen Theary, a representative for about 650 garment workers employed by the Top Form company in Russei Keo commune, a brassiere factory that supplies international brands such as Victoria’s Secret. … Ms. Theary said that although Top Form has withheld the tax from workers’ salaries since it began operations last year, workers had recently learned from friends at other factories that not every factory does, sparking the protest. …
