News
Glue fumes cause mass workplace faintings
Approximately 40 workers fainted at the TMI garment factory in Svay Rieng yesterday, police and workers said. Workers at the factory began feeling sick and fainting when a heavy air of glue fumes wafted into the factory as workers returned from lunch, So Navy, 23, a ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/glue-fumes-cause-mass-workplace-faintings
Fear keeps workers at home
When the garment factory that employs her opened its doors yesterday for the first time since Sunday’s election, Chan Neoun was about 130 kilometres away, at home in Svay Rieng province. Intense rioting and a military crackdown were just some of the rumours flying around ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/fear-keeps-workers-home
Rating agency says Acleda not affected by recent surge in withdrawals
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said Tuesday that its single-B ratings and stable outlook for Cambodia’s Acleda Bank Plc were “unaffected” by a recent surge in ATM cash withdrawals. A statement from Singapore said Sunday evening withdrawals after polls closed in national elections were about $4 ...
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=NjZmOWY5OTFhN2I
Union wins benefits for garment workers
Most demands made by workers at a Takeo province garment factory were met following a large protest and five hours of negotiation. Asia Dragon (Garment) Co Ltd mediated with the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), making concessions on most of the workers’ 16 ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/union-wins-benefits-garment-workers
Workers paid out on doorstop of election
A month-long battle to secure back pay waged by 750 garment workers has ended only days before the national election – with the government footing the bill. The $450,000 payout to the Pine Great (Cambodia) factory workers – whose factory owner skipped town in April – ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/workers-paid-out-doorstop-election
Mfone workers paid, a little
After months of protests, more than 1,000 former Mfone employees yesterday received just 10 per cent of the $4.4 million they were demanding in compensation after the telecom company filed for bankruptcy in January. Court-appointed administrator Ouk Ry, entrusted with the sale of Mfone’s assets, ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/mfone-workers-paid-little
Bandith appeals while on the lam
Former Bavet town governor Chhouk Bandith has appealed — from hiding — his conviction for shooting three women at a protest earlier last year, his lawyer said. His attorney, Sun Bunnarith, said that he had filed the appeal about two weeks ago, and that Bandith’s ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bandith-appeals-while-lam
Officials own land, claim villagers
Local cadastral land officials, a district governor and RCAF personnel all own plots of a social land concession in Preah Vihear originally intended to be distributed to poor villagers, local rights group Adhoc alleged. In 2007, the government granted 556 hectares of land in Choam Ksan ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-own-land-claim-villagers
Workers to get back pay before election
Social Affairs Ministry officials yesterday promised that about 750 workers from the shuttered Pine Great garment factory will receive their overdue salaries before the election. Yesterday Touch Somuth, a member of the Social Affairs Ministry committee formed to resolve the issue, said the committee was ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/workers-get-back-pay-election
REDD+ forest clearing unabated: community
Since last year, up to a half of nearly 8,000 hectares of community forest has been encroached upon and cleared in Oddar Meanchey province’s Banteay Ampil district by soldiers, community representatives said yesterday. Din Heng, chief of Ang Dong Bor community, said the army has cleared ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/redd-forest-clearing-unabated-community
No bail for Sabrina unionists
According to defence lawyer Kao Ty, the court decided to uphold the decision of the provincial court in a closed-door hearing last Friday. “They said if those eight members and workers were released on bail, they would cause a problem again,” he said, adding that ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/no-bail-sabrina-unionists
Hundreds demonstrate on activist’s behalf
Two days before a land activist’s scheduled sentencing, about 400 people affected by land grabs demonstrated at Pursat Provincial Court in support of the man who frequently protests against the Pheap Imex Company. About 12,000 families are now involved in land disputes around a Pheap ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070966735/National/hundreds-demonstrate-on-activist-s-behalf.html
A more personal B Kak dispute makes airwaves
In the past few years, the explosive events at Boeung Kak lake – including violent evictions and arrests – have gone largely unreported outside the Kingdom’s independent media outlets. Outspoken community representative Tep Vanny has been under attack from her fellow Boeung Kak residents, who ...
New Boeng Kak Group Petitions World Bank
About 30 former residents of the Boeng Kak community submitted a petition on Friday morning to the World Bank office and several embassies in Phnom Penh, calling for a halt to all funding for longtime anti-eviction protesters from the Boeng Kak area. The Boeng Kak counter-protesters ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/new-boeng-kak-group-petitions-world-bank-33746/
Villagers Fed Up With Garbage Dump Problems
Residents of three villages in Kompong Cham province’s Krala commune are growing increasingly frustrated with problems caused by a local garbage dump, saying it is a health hazard and that it emits an unpleasant odor. Khat Seang, chief of Tuol Porpel village, said the frustration may ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/villagers-fed-up-with-garbage-dump-problems-33611/
Factory’s owner in crosshairs
Some 400 garment workers yesterday gathered outside the Ministry of Social Affairs to plead for government intervention against a factory owner who fled without paying them overdue wages three months ago. Khem Chamnan, a Free Trade Union representative from the Pine Great (Cambodia) factory in Phnom ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070266604/National/factory-s-owner-in-crosshairs.html
Condom packers seek ‘unpaid’ bonuses
Forty-four Number One and OK condom packers, out of work since their contracts ended on Sunday, protested outside the office of health NGO Population Services Khmer (PSK) in Phnom Penh yesterday, demanding “unpaid” seniority bonuses. Representative So Nita said the workers, four of whom have physical ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070266603/National/condom-packers-seek-unpaid-bonuses.html
Housing Activists Clash With Police in Street Protest
At least two women were injured Monday as housing rights activists clashed with police in Phnom Penh. The activists had been demonstrating by sitting in a major street in front of City Hall to demand land titles in two ongoing land disputes in the capital, those ...
Cambodia's garment exports up 22 pct in 5 months
Cambodia’s garment industry, the country’s biggest income earner, recorded 2.06 billion U.S. dollars in export value in the first five months of this year, up 22 percent on the same period last year, a Commerce Ministry’s report showed Tuesday. Garment export accounts for more than 80 ...
http://www.asean-china-center.org/english/2013-06/27/c_132492345.htm
Court Order Ends NagaWorld Strike, Sends Staff Back to Work
Hundreds of employees of Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld casino and hotel returned to work Wednesday in response to a court order telling them to end their nearly two-week-long strike. Staff demanding that the high-grossing company raise their minimum pay from $80 to $150 per month have been ...
Former Cambodia governor jailed in absentia for shooting three factory workers
A Cambodian court sentenced a former governor in absentia to 18 months in prison for shooting three female workers at a factory supplying sportswear giant Puma, a judge said yesterday. The women, employees of Puma supplier Kaoway Sports, were wounded when someone opened fire on protesters ...
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1268733/ex-cambodian-official-convicted-absentia
NagaWorld a no-show at arbitration meeting
A strike involving hundreds of casino workers – many who have been told their contracts have been terminated – reached an impasse yesterday after NagaWorld officials did not attend a conciliation session at the Arbitration Council, a union leader said. “The Arbitration Council could not immediately ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013062566463/National/nagaworld-a-no-show-at-arbitration-meeting.html
NagaWorld strikers fired en masse
Nagaworld casino has fired more than 400 workers who have spent about 10 days striking to demand a wage increase, union leaders, workers and a leaked internal memo have revealed. A list of names, obtained by the Post yesterday, was emailed to management and senior staff ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013062466447/National/nagaworld-strikers-fired-en-masse.html
Nike calls for probe on Cambodian police clash with garment workers
Nike expressed “deep concerns” over the May 27 incident at the Sabrina Cambodia Garment Manufacturing plant outside Phnom Penh, in a letters to Cambodia’s commerce and labour ministers released late Friday in the United States. Following the violence, eight workers and trade union members were ...