Naga workers' court questioning delayed

Photo by: Tracey Shelton
Street vendors pause for a rest outside NagaWorld Hotel and Casino. Phnom Penh Municipal Court has granted 14 workers implicated in a complaint filed by the casino’s human resources director more time to prepare for questioning.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 03 August 2009
Sam Rith

Laid-off employees in incitement complaint given more time to prepare, find attorneys.

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court has granted 14 former NagaWorld Hotel and Casino employees more time to find attorneys and prepare for questioning in relation to an incitement complaint filed against them last month by Naga's human resources director, Deputy Prosecutor Hing Bunchea told the Post Sunday.

Naga Human Resources Director Gregory Goh filed the incitement, defamation and false information complaint, which pertains to an ongoing labour dispute, on July 20, Hing Bunchea told the Post last week.

Naga executives have repeatedly said that the 14 workers, who were fired in February, lost their jobs due to poor performance.

The workers, along with members of the Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation, which represents 1,000 Naga workers, have said that the layoffs stemmed from a dispute over annual bonuses.

Union leaders have in recent weeks said several times that they would strike if the workers were not reinstated.

Sok Narith said the 14 laid-off workers went to Municipal Court on Thursday to inquire about the complaint.

At least five of the employees were summonsed to appear at the court between last Thursday and today. All 14 former Naga employees went to the court Thursday and asked to have the appearances delayed until August 10.

"We told the court that we needed more time to prepare ourselves, to seek lawyers and to study the charges that the company has filed against us," he said.

Hing Bunchea confirmed on Sunday that the questioning sessions had been delayed, saying they would likely last from August 10 to August 12. He told the Post last week that he issued the summonses so as to investigate the case.