In a bid to end a dispute between former NagaWorld staff and the integrated resort, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training is calling on the strikers, including those just released on bail, to come to the negotiation table.
The call came after eight of the 11 NagaWorld unionists were released on bail – with three others reportedly released on March 17 – to attend negotiations to end the dispute. The ministry said they intervened to seek bail, but the unionists were no shows.
“On the afternoon of March 16, representatives of NagaWorld responded to the ministry’s invitation and attended the meeting but the released employees did not,” the ministry said in a March 16 notice.
“The ministry is saddened that the meeting was not possible. Once again, we appeal to the employees’ representatives to attend the next meeting … so that the dispute can be resolved as soon as possible,” it said.
Hundreds of former NagaWorld staffers have been protesting since December, after many were made redundant due to the “impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”. The authorities have since declared the protest illegal, which led to arrest of 11 union representatives who were charged with incitement.
In a separate notice, the ministry said it had sought to intervene to secure the release of the last three arrested workers.
The ministry identified the last three as Chuob Channa, Seng Vannarith and Sao Sambath. The trio would have been released earlier, but their lawyer was late in withdrawing their complaint at the appeal court, it noted.
