Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Workers return in wake of factory floor collapse

Workers return in wake of factory floor collapse

Workers return in wake of factory floor collapse

Employees working at a Takeo province garment factory where part of the floor gave way beneath them last month were back on the job yesterday, though in different buildings at the large Bati district complex.

Oeur Pich, whose left leg was injured at the scene, was among those returning to new work stations yesterday.

“I am still scared when I see the building where I used to work,” Pich told the Post after her first shift back. “Luckily, we are not allowed to work in that building.”

About 800 workers fled Building B of Nishiku’s complex at about 9:30am on October 21 when part of the ground floor near the entrance caved in, leaving the front quarter of the factory floor tilting toward the hole that materialised.

Several people working at the time were pinned under their sewing machines, leaving at least four, all women, with minor injuries.

On the day of the collapse, Nishiku director of human resources Chan Monika – who could not be reached yesterday – said the portion that collapsed stood over a 40-by-20-metre reservoir and had not been reinforced.

A preliminary police investigation that day concluded that lack of reinforcement likely led to the floor giving way.

Jill Tucker, technical adviser for the International Labour Organization’s Better Factories Cambodia (BFC), yesterday said photographs from the scene seemed consistent with this assessment.

Specialists should look at the other buildings at Nishiku to gauge safety, she added.

“It would be good for them to bring a structural engineer to assess the other buildings in the complex,” Tucker said. “There’s no building code [in Cambodia], right now, it’s being written.”

So far, no Nishiku employees working in the building during the collapse have filed lawsuits, nor has the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) – which represents many of their employees, C.CAWDU legal officer Seang Yoth said yesterday.

But C.CAWDU and labour rights group Solidarity Center are monitoring the case to see whether workers should file suit, Yoth said.

“C.CAWDU and [Solidarity Center] are monitoring to ensure the National Social Security Fund properly pays compensation and medical bills for those injured,” Yoth explained.

An NSSF staffer was reached yesterday afternoon, but told a Post reporter that his boss could not be contacted.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Ministry taking steps over Thai ‘replica’ of Angkor Wat

    The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has dispatched experts to inspect the ongoing construction of a temple in Wat Phu Man Fah, located in Thailand’s Buriram province. This temple appears to be a replica of Cambodia’s renowned Angkor Wat. The ministry said

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former