"Workers hope for an end to year-long Kandal factories closure dispute", 4 December 2020

More than 1,000 workers from Dignity Knitter and ECO Base Factory garment manufacturers have yet to get compensation packages nearly a year the factories’ owner first withheld their pay and subsequently shut down the factories.

The owner of the two factories reduced work and did not pay wages for workers … and after three months of work suspensions starting March the facilities were shuttered permanently .... A number of factories have suspended operations or closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected global supply chains.

Phin Sophea, a unionist at the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, who was employed at Dignity Knitter for 14 years, said Deputy Director of Kandal Provincial Court Pech Maren and Kandal Provincial Governor Kong Sophorn met with workers and factory representatives for a meeting ...

Sophea said a European company was now evaluating and appraising the factories’ property, which would then be distributed between creditors and the workers.

“So, they need time to evaluate the details because if we want it faster, then we will not get enough information. So, when they sell it, we will get a cheap price,” Sophea said.

… “I appeal to Kandal provincial governor, Kandal provincial court and relevant authorities to help finish this case … because we are finding it difficult to live,” Sophea said.

… Deputy Director of Kandal Provincial Court Pech Maren said authorities will take 10 days to auction the factory’s property. “So, we will implement it based on legal procedures,” said Maren.