The Preah Sihanouk province’s Department of Labour and Vocational Training has given one week to Jiang Kang Casino Hotel in Sihanoukville’s Commune 4 to address the unpaid wages of at least 100 construction workers.

Failure to do so, the department warned, will result in the case being sent to court for further legal action.

The department’s intervention came after some 100 construction workers, including 30 Chinese nationals, staged a protest over unpaid remunerations, blocked the road and demanded the company pay their wages.

Yov Khemara, the head of the provincial labour department, told The Post on Sunday that the workers have not been paid for many months by their direct employer, a contractor identified as Liu Jian Yang.

He said the dispute stems from a lack of clarity between the casino owners and the contractor who was trusted to provide construction workers to the former.

“Both parties trusted each other, therefore, they did not make clear contracts,” he said.

According to Khemara, in the case of contractors being unable to pay the workers, the company that hired the contractor’s services is accountable for the resolution to the problem.

The department said the authorities and the company representatives could not find an agreement after their meeting on Sunday.

As a result, the department issued a letter, demanding the company owners pay wages to the workers. The warning is effective for one week, starting on Sunday, Khemara said.

“If they fail to pay within the deadline, we will send the case to court for further action in accordance with legal procedures.”

The workers had previously submitted a complaint to the provincial labour department prior to the protest.

In the letter, they said their employer has not paid their wages for months. They also wrote to inform the department about their strike on Saturday.

According to Khemara, the workers have decided to halt their protests temporarily whilst waiting for the technical officers to resolve their dispute.