Labour Row

Temporarily laid-off workers from a Phnom Penh garment factory have rejected a deal that would have paid them one-quarter of their monthly salaries while they were out of a job. Tack Fat garment factory employee Leab Chanthoeun said a $12 per month offer was too meagre. Instead, the workers are asking for about US$25 a month, half of their normal monthly earnings. All of the 1,823 employees at Tack Fat garment factory have been temporarily laid off since October 8. A two-month hiatus was necessitated by a shortfall in garment orders sparked by global economic conditions, the factory’s owners said at the time. A union representative said talks between city and union officials yesterday produced only a promise to launch an investigative committee. The Post could not reach a factory representative for comment.