About 70 workers plan to once again demonstrate today in front of Siem Reap’s Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa after negotiations failed to reach a solution, said Morn Rithy, president of the Cambodian Tourism and Services Federation.
The workers have been protesting for the reinstatement of 17 employees, who they claim were unfairly dismissed in September and October following union elections, and for the firing of the hotel’s manager, who they blame for the dismissals. In January, the hotel fired an additional 60 staff, Rithy said.
“[Today’s] protest is to demand that they reinstate the 60 employees who were fired by the hotel in January after they joined the protest, and to demand [the hotel] to pay their wages since the day they were fired,” he said.
Despite negotiations by provincial authorities, no solution has been reached, Rithy said. The hotel has said it will offer termination compensation, but the protesters want their jobs back.
Kao Soupha, a lawyer representing the hotel, said the hotel will not hire back the staff.
“We really want to solve this problem, but the protesters always reject what we offer. What they want is to get 77 staff back to work, and we really cannot do that,” he said.
The hotel is waiting to hear back from the court on the matter, Soupha said.
