About 300 workers from Russei Keo district’s Ever Glory garment factory in Phnom Penh went on strike yesterday to demand the factory director reinstate two workers, after other employees claimed that they were unjustly let go without proper reason. 

Man Senghak, consultant to the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said that nearly 300 workers rallied outside of the garment factory in Tuol Sangke commune yesterday after the two employees were dismissed on Saturday.

Toeun Tong, 31, an employee of the factory who was fired said that the director had issues with the two men because, he claimed, the factory had allegedly terminated workers illegally and Toeun Tong had helped them to get reinstated.

He added that the factory director alleged that “we did not work well. They fired us but all of the factory workers supported us and found that it was just an illegal excuse”.

Officials from the dispute bureau at the Ministry of Labour intervened at the protest and held an immediate meeting at the factory between the representatives of workers and the factory owner yesterday evening, which resulted in the resolution of 13 other requests but denied the reinstatement of the two workers.