The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) appealed to the government and local authorities to take immediate action to protect the security and safety of investors in factories within the Manhattan Special Economic Zone in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town after protests and riots over the new minimum wage continued yesterday.

 
Factory owners want assurances police would be deployed to contain riots and limit property damage by protesters, the association said in a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday.


“The main purpose of the rioters is to demand wages that are higher than the level recently set by the Labor Advisory Committee, and the rioting, which started at the Kingmaker (Cambodia) Footwear factory on Wednesday afternoon and continued until today, causing serious damage to company properties and workers or employees who are not rioters sustained injuries,” GMAC wrote.


The violence, which it said happens every year, also severely affects investor confidence in the factories in the zone and their long-term investment in the enterprise.


“Today, the whole production activity of the Manhattan Special Economic Zone has been completely stopped, causing millions of dollars in losses,” GMAC said, adding that the association recognized the right to demand higher wages, but asked that all activities be conducted in a peaceful manner and within the law.


“The violent acts do not reflect considerate and dignified behavior.” 


Khuth Sokhum, coordinator for the Cambodia Labor Confederation in Svay Rieng province, said yesterday that thousands of workers at two special economic zones in Bavet town – Manhattan and Tay Seng – protested outside their factories from 7 am until around 10:30 am.


“They did not do their work, but they just stood outside the factories and then went back home,” he said.


Mr. Sokhum said the protests yesterday morning were not violent, and that there were a number of police and military police officials deployed in order to protect people and property.


“Workers hold protests by themselves without provoking or being led by the unions because they are not happy with the minimum wage increase that the government increased by only $12 from the current rate of $128 per month,” said Mr. Sokhum. 


He said workers want at least $150 per month.


A garment worker at C.CO factory in the Manhattan SEZ, Mai Ratha, 22, said that he accepted the new minimum wage and did not join the protest. 


“I accept the wage increase to $140 per month and I did not join the protest,” he said, adding that the employees of his factory could not work due to disturbances by other workers who threw stones into his factory.


“We worked only two hours this morning. The administrative management made an announcement allowing all workers to go back home because they were afraid of the violence by the protestors,” said Mr. Ratha.


Kingmaker (Cambodia) Footwear Co., Ltd and Elite (Cambodia) Co., Ltd officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.


Has Bunthy, provincial labor department director, confirmed that nearly 30,000 workers from 39 factories in two SEZs had protested and damaged property.


“The protesting started from one factory, Kingmaker Footwear, and they demanded a wage increase of $20 from the current wage of $128. They disturbed other workers and made them join with them,” he said.


Mr. Bunthy appealed to all workers to accept the new minimum wage. 


“Do not use protests or violence to demand more.”