Authorities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia have ordered striking casino workers at NagaWorld to end the protest, claiming the demonstrators could be spreading the coronavirus. But activists say the motive is to block labor reform.
The strike began in December. Thousands of workers have demanded higher wages, the reinstatement of 365 workers they say were unjustly fired from the casino complex, and the release of eight jailed union leaders.
According to Radio Free Asia, Phnom Penh City Hall made the order after the Ministry of Health said a striking worker tested positive for Covid-19.
“The Covid-19 Combating Committee advises workers to immediately stop gathering to hold demonstrations until such time that there is assurance that Covid-19 will not spread among the group,” the committee said in a February 4 statement. “In the case of stubbornness that leads to community infections, the concerned individuals will be fined and prosecuted.”
Cambodian authorities have deemed the strike “illegal” and say it is supported by foreign donors as a plot to topple the government. But Khun Tharo of the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights told RFA there is “something hidden” behind the order. “We must seek the truth about the intentions behind the ministry’s order.”
Despite lockdowns and Covid restrictions, NagaCorp reported that it generated $173 million in profit during the first half of 2020 and $74.7 million dollars during the same period in 2021.
On February 7, three more striking workers were arrested after they refused to stop protesting. Cambodian human rights activist Am Sam Ath told RFA, “The root of the problem is to resolve labor disputes, not to arrest unionists and workers and putting them in prison. It is not the solution. It is the cause of the problem that is causing it to drag on and on for a long time like this.”
Ou Tep Phallin, president of the Federation of Food and Service Workers’ Unions, added, “These detainees, who are union leaders, just came forward to simply negotiate with the employers for workers and then got arrested. What is the situation in our country now?”
