Garment workers protest

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Garment factory workers exit through the front gate of June Textiles company in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district yesterday, where protesters are seeking the dismissal of two factory managers.

via CAAI

Thursday, 24 February 2011 15:01 Mom Kunthear and Adam Miller

About 2,000 garment workers at the June Textile Company in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district held a protest yesterday, demanding that the company fire two high-ranking factory officials, according to worker representative Chhoub Nith.

“The workers are not satisfied with the two high-ranking factory managers and they want the factory director to fire them,” he said yesterday.

“If the factory does not fire them, then the protests will keep going without a deadline.”

Meng Kry, administrative director, and Ung Sokret Yuthea, information technology manager, were accused of firing workers without cause, altering workers’ union affiliations and creating forged documents to claim a percentage of workers’ salaries, Chhoub Nith said.

The workers also staged a similar protest on February 11, but the two officials were not fired.

“The unions don’t have any proof to say that they are guilty.They always make false allegations,” Albert Teoh, director of the factory, said yesterday.

He added that problems arose when a union leader was replaced, causing a rift within the factory.

“Tomorrow maybe they want to get rid of the whole management ... the union denies everything and misleads the workers, by saying the management is wrong,” he said.

Meng Kry and Ung Sokret Yuthea could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Doung Sinat, a textile worker at the factory, said yesterday that she protests voluntarily in order to gain benefits for the workers.

“There is no one forcing me or the other workers to protest to demand the company fire Meng Kry and Ung Sokret Yuthea, who always take workers’ benefits. We will keep protesting until the company fires those two men,” she said.