The Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation has accused the governor of Siem Reap City of intimidation by using police to intervene in a long-running industrial dispute with a luxury hotel while the case is still being heard by a provincial court.

A total of 67 workers from the Angkor Village Hotel and Resort were sacked between June and August after they began unionising earlier this year, sparking repeated protests outside the luxury lodging in Cambodia’s premier tourism town – Siem Reap.

The hotel’s owner, Tep Vantho, has consistently said they were dismissed due to unrelated misconduct including attempts to poison her and refused to respect a non-binding August Arbitration Council ruling ordering her to reinstate them, instead offering compensation.

Houn Vireak Dany, who was sacked by Angkor Village after seven years of service, said yesterday she didn’t understand why police officers came to her house on Saturday and attempted to convince her to take an unspecified amount of compensation.

“I told police that I protested to get my job back, not to get money, so I have denied their request,” she said, adding they told her she could pick up compensation from Siem Reap Municipal Hall.

Sok Narith, deputy secretary of the CTSWF, accused Siem Reap City governor Tep Bunchay of ordering police to conduct door-to-door visits to each sacked employee’s house to intimidate them while the provincial court was still ruling on their reinstatement demand.

Tep Bunchay and Tep Vantho could not be reached for comment yesterday.