About 90 garment workers fainted at the SL Garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district on Friday and Saturday, union officials said.

Government officials and unions were investigating the cause of the faintings, Um Visal, a Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union labour dispute resolution officer, said yesterday.

“I just went down to the factory [Saturday] when the workers fainted,” he said.

“It smelled bad even when I was... outside. It was very difficult to breathe and gave me a headache. The bad smell comes from a water-propelled fan.”

Soung Sophorn, SL Garment administrative officer, said workers had contributed to their own fainting.

“The doctors told me they fainted because their health is not good – they did not have breakfast,” Sophorn said.

“If the factory caused the fainting, more than 6,000 workers would have fainted.”

She added, however, that workers could go home today if sick.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mom Kunthear at [email protected]