Opposition leader Sam Rainsy led a 300-strong protest of Cambodia Apparel factory workers from Kompong Speu province to Phnom Penh’s National Assembly building Wednesday in an effort to have several fired labor leaders reinstated at the factory.
Workers have been on strike since Jan. 2 to demand deposits and restitution for three Cambodian labor leaders allegedly fired without reason.
The strikers clashed with police in Kampong Speu Tuesday, leading to the injury of policemen and workers.
“There must be pressure to warn the company violating workers rights to stop its illegal acts and let the workers illegally laid of resume their work,” Sam Rainsy said. “They have to stop making laborers work night and day, provide them with their wages regularly, stop deducting workers’ wages.”
Kong Don, a government official at the Kampong Speu provincial Office of Labor who is mediating the dispute, said workers were continuing their strike to “show off.”
Cambodia Apparel had agreed to pay a 5 percent salary increase, he added.