"NagaWorld’s suspended workers campaign to fight layoff plan", April 30, 2021

Workers at NagaWorld, Cambodia’s biggest casino company, are stepping up the fight for their jobs after their employer announced on April 8 plans to lay off 1,329 people, despite the company raking in more than $102 million in profits last year.

Chhim Sithar, president of the Phnom Penh casino workers’ union, said her organization has launched an online campaign calling on the company to keep on its employees and stop the planned layoffs.

...The union also sent two letters to NagaWorld, dated April 12 and 21, demanding the company not proceed with layoffs.

...[In] an April 19 response to the union’s first letter, Hein Dames, head of the casino’s human resources, reiterated the stance that layoffs were necessary to maintain the business in the hard times of the pandemic.

... Moeun Tola, president of Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (Central) said that... “I do not see Naga implementing social responsibility. There is no good record there regarding the promotion of union rights, and so this plan to lay off workers may be intended to reduce [the influence] of the union,” he said.

...According to the union, the company paid 50 percent and 40 percent of wage to staff in March and April, respectively. Workers are now concerned these payments might not continue through May.