THE Ministry of Labour is expected to host a meeting today with worker representatives and the management of Phnom Penh’s Tack Fat garment factory in an attempt to solve an ongoing pay dispute, ministry official Khiev Savuth said Monday.

Workers are protesting against the factory for closing its doors without prior notice on October 8 and have demanded full salaries during what factory management says will be a two-month hiatus. Factory owners claim the closure was a result of a shortfall in garment orders triggered by the global downturn.

Around 1,800 workers demonstrated in front of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house on Monday morning to seek his intervention.

The rally followed an unsuccessful meeting last Wednesday between seven garment unions representing the Tack Fat workers and officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Kim Dich, a representative of the Ponleu Thmey union, said that workers wanted Tack Fat to terminate their contracts since they believed that the factory was unlikely to reopen and provide work anymore.

“Officials at the prime minister’s cabinet who had allowed representatives of the workers to submit the letter [to Hun Sen] had promised to help solve the case soon,” he said.