Unions threaten nationwide strike if 21 prisoners not released
Sixteen unions threatened Monday to organize a nationwide strike if the 21 activists and protesters jailed following garment industry protests on January 2 and 3 are not released on bail Tuesday. The unions also called for charges against the 21 prisoners, 16 of whom began a hunger strike in prison on Sunday, and two other prisoners released on bail Saturday, to be dropped. … “Local unions and national-level unions have agreed that if there is no release [of the 21] and no increase in pay for workers in the coming days we will hold a nationwide strike,” said Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association. “If they do not clear the 23 [of charges] and increase workers’ pay to $160, we will…set an agenda and inform relevant authorities about our nationwide strike,” he said. … Sor Mora, president of the Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation, said the petitions were eventually delivered to the U.S., Australian and French embassies and the European Union delegation later in the afternoon. … Internationally, unions in 22 countries were also scheduled to present letters to Cambodian embassies Monday calling for the prisoners to be freed. Leonie Guguen, communications officer at IndustriALL Global Union, one of the unions organizing the action, said by email that letters had already been delivered to Cambodia’s embassies in Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, with over 300 union members “taking action” in Jakarta. …
Mech Dara and Alice Cuddy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/unions-threaten-nationwide-strike-if-21-prisoners-not-released-51864/
