Manhattan factory strike returns to the streets

Thousands of people at a Kampong Cham province garment factory reignited a strike yesterday, protesting the factory’s refusal to reinstate three fired union representatives, one of those representatives said.

Protests began last month, but there was a brief respite on January 7 and 8 when workers came in for shifts so they could collect wages, said Chorn Theang, a dismissed employee and factory president of the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU).

Roughly 3,000 people returned to the street outside the factory yesterday morning, said Theang, who was one of 107 people fired last year for demonstrating. All but three CATU leaders were rehired.

Even though an Arbitration Council decision last year favoured the reinstatement of the leaders – including Theang – Manhattan managers ignored it. A Manhattan official said yesterday that 2,000 people were working.

Contact author: Mom Kunthear

MOST VIEWED

12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star
Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an
Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller
The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91
Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter
Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was
Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election
The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration
Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony
Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event
1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years
The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is