"Civil society organizations and unions express disappointment with NagaWorld layoffs", 2 December 2021

25 organizations, associations and unions have expressed their disappointment with Phnom Penh casino NagaWorld for what they describe as its attempts to dissolve the casino’s union leadership structure, saying that the move was unreasonable and unacceptable during COVID-19.

Chhim Sithar, president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, said that NagaWorld planned to lay off 1,329 staff members out of its total of more than 8,000 staff due to the COVID-19 crisis. Of that number, she said, 82% are union activists and elected union officials, as well as 373 staff who still don’t accept the compensation being offered to them.

The groups, which included the NagaWorld Union, Central, Adhoc, Licadho, CCHR, CYN and other civil society organizations, released a joint statement … alleging severe violations of the labor rights and basic freedoms of trade union workers employed at NagaWorld. The statement alleged that the recent notice of dismissal of trade union leaders and activists showed NagaWorld’s intention to violate the basic rights of workers to organize for better working conditions…

The statement cited the first article of the Convention on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, which states that “workers shall enjoy adequate protection against acts of anti-union discrimination in respect of their employment”…

Hein Dames, head of NagaWorld’s human resources department, and other human resources officers including Dy Seiha and Ros Bunleng, could not be reached for comment.

Labor ministry spokesperson Heng Sour said that the ministry and Arbitration Council Foundation had fulfilled their duties rightly and legally…