More than 500 workers at the Ford Glory factory, in the capital’s Meanchey district, planned to set tyres ablaze and march to the Ministry of Labour today to protest against the sacking of their union president, their representatives said yesterday.

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About 500 workers at the factory, in Stung Meanchey commune, went on strike on Friday and Saturday asking for Muth Ravuth, the factory’s Union Federation for Labour Rights representative, to be reinstated.

Sam Oeun, president of the Union Federation for Labour Rights, said Muth Ravuth was selected as factory president on April 6, but the factory “was angry and discriminated against the union”, terminating his three-month contract.

“The workers will hold a big strike by raising banners, setting tyres on fire and marching to the ministry to demand that the union leader be reinstated and to ask for an increase in the transportation allowance from $7 to $10,” Sam Oeun said.

Muth Ravuth said his dismissal had been “an illegal act and discrimination against the union”.

The workers had taken a vow to conduct a non-violent strike until the factory boss  allowed him to return to work, he said.

Ford Glory administration chief Bi Chanrany said the company could not reinstate Muth Ravuth because his sacking had not been related to the union, but due to his work.

The company had ended Muth Ravuth’s three-month contract on April 6 and had paid him until April 18 in accordance with the labour law, Bi Chanrany said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Tep Nimol and Chreung Sophal at [email protected]