"Cambodian workers at NagaWorld casino vexed over lay-offs as Hong Kong-listed parent firm reports profits", 2 June 2021

When Reoun Sreyneang received notice she would be let go from her job tending hotel rooms for US$300 a month at Phnom Penh’s gold-tinted NagaWorld casino complex, she decided to accept the news without a fight.

“I don’t believe I can win against the company that has millions of dollars in its pocket. They will always win,” said the hospitality worker.

Still, she admitted she was shocked that NagaWorld, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed firm NagaCorp that has an exclusive licence to run a casino in Phnom Penh, would fire her and her colleagues, given the tough employment situation as Cambodia continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic…

At least 600 workers have already received lay-off messages …, said NagaWorld employees union president Chhim Sithar, who counted herself among them. The company flagged … that it would terminate 1,329 of its 8,000 workers due to financial hardship from the pandemic.

Sithar said some of the workers who were laid off had been employed for more than 10 years. A couple who just welcomed a baby both lost their jobs – and Sithar claims NagaCorp would know they are firing a whole family because family records are meticulously taken…

NagaCorp’s representatives in Hong Kong did not respond to a request for comment.

… Sithar alleged that NagaCorp was targeting key union leaders as part of its firing plans, saying it had done the same during the … global financial crisis, when the union leader and key organisers were made redundant…