Phnom Penh: According to a report from the Bangkok Post, thousands of striking Cambodian workers of a Hong Kong-listed casino company returned to their jobs on Saturday after winning wage increases and the reinstatement of a suspended union leader in a rare victory.
Up to 3,000 workers had joined the strike in front of the NagaWorld in Phnom Penh to demand higher wages among other demands. Workers there earn between US$150 and $250 a month. They wanted them raised to $300-500
Demands to reinstate union president, Chhim Sithar, who was suspended in September also appear to have been met.
“Today, we returned to our shifts,” Hai Sopheap, 31, one of the strikers and union activist, told Reuters on Saturday. “This victory came out of our solidarity.”
Sopheap said NagaWorld had agreed to raise workers’ salaries by between 18% and 30%.
“The outcome will pave the way for the union to negotiate for other remaining demands,” said Khun Tharo, a programme coordinator at the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights.
NagaCorp, which has the exclusive licence to operate in Phnom Penh, reported an estimated $1.8 billion in revenue last year, up from $1.5 billion in 2018.
