MORE than 100 workers were hospitalised after fainting on the job at the Manhattan Cambodia garment factory in Kampong Cham province over the weekend, union officials said.

“One hundred seven of 3,000 workers were hospitalised, while another 30 received treatment at home after they fainted between Thursday and Saturday,” said John Theang, a Free Trade Union representative at the factory, which lies inside the Manhattan Industrial Park in Kampong Siem district. The workers were sent to a provincial referral hospital and a nearby military hospital for treatment, he said.

Sam Seiha, an administration officer at Manhattan Industrial Park, said the wave of fainting was a result of workers not eating enough lunch.

“They had little food for lunch, and that’s why they lacked sugar substance in the body,” he said.

He said that the firm had postponed operations until today and was footing the bill for all of those hospitalised.

After visiting the workplace over the weekend, provincial officials put the fainting spell down to the quality of the air in the factory.

“The departments have asked that the firm improve the air system to balance the air,” said Cheng Heang, the director of the provincial

labour department.