More than 300 workers from Horus Industrial Corp, a factory that makes sportswear for Puma and Nike in the capital’s Meanchey district, continued their six-day strike yesterday, demanding the reinstatement of workers and union officials who were sacked in June.

Federation Union for Cambodia Workers president Huy Sambath said Horus discriminated against members of the union, which had only recently been formed, and had crushed it after discovering its leaders’ identities.

“They sacked the union officials after we sent a letter informing the company of the names of those union officials,” he said, adding that the firings had been the last straw that prompted workers to strike.

Sok Thet, one of the fired leaders, said workers had begun their strike on July 6 after his negotiations to be re-hired by the company failed.

“The company sacked 15 union officials and several workers without reason from June 26 to 30,” he said.

Workers carrying pictures of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife, Bun Rany, gathered in front of the factory, appealing to it to accept their 10 demands, which include rehiring the sacked officials and workers; ending anti-union discrimination, threatening of workers and forced resignations; and providing advance notice to workers being fired.

“The company . . . sacked me because I helped the workers go against the company, and denied letting me to return to work, because I incited the workers to hold a strike, but I did not do that,” Sok Thet said. The strike would continue until workers’ demands were met, he said.

Horus Industrial Corp director Mouy Ly said the company had sent the case to the Arbitration Council, but declined to comment further.

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