Regardless of the Ministry of Labor’s mediation efforts within the long-running dispute between Naga World workers and the administration, the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Staff of NagaWorld (LRSU) say the method has did not ship justice. They argue that mediation has not supplied a good answer for employees and union members, with the ministry as an alternative urging them to settle the difficulty in courtroom.
About 70 employees gathered to protest on the morning of February 1, 2026, holding banners, calling for labor legal guidelines to be revered and for renewed negotiations to carry an finish to the dispute. Employees chanted slogans, urging the administration “to not use cash to purchase rights”, “cease union discrimination within the identify of funding”, and that “NagaWorld should reinstate LRSU leaders and members and pay severance in accordance with the regulation.”
The protesters sang union songs, performed hand-held drums, and cited the 2023 ILO Declaration, affirming the actions of the LRSU and that it shouldn’t be obstructed.
Males Sothyvattanak, a card seller at NagaWorld for eight years, stated the continued protest point out that the dispute has not been legally resolved. Even with the decision for a authorized settlement by the Worldwide Labour Group, employees have confronted authorized motion, together with the arrest of union leaders, she remarked.
She added that the dispute has dragged on for over 4 years, urging the federal government—notably the Labor Ministry—to intervene, noting that the establishment has an obligation to serve the general public and assist restore nationwide unity.
“This can be a labor dispute, but after 4 years there was no answer, solely excuses and accusations in opposition to employees,” Sothyvathanak stated. “The state should stand with the individuals. When individuals face issues, the state should resolve them. Earlier negotiations solely delayed the difficulty, leaving employees deeply disillusioned.”
She added that instructing employees to pursue courtroom motion just isn’t an applicable answer, as there is no such thing as a labor courtroom in Cambodia and employees don’t belief the system to ship justice. She known as on related establishments to intervene transparently and pretty to guard employees’ and unions’ rights.
Final month, unionists renewed calls for for the reinstatement of dismissed workers, the clearing of felony information for union members, and respect for labor rights, describing the dispute as a take a look at of Cambodia’s dedication to justice and human rights.
The protest in 2021 led to the arrest of greater than a dozen LRSU members, together with their president Chhim Sithar, who was sentenced to 2 years in jail on incitement costs—a case that drew condemnation from worldwide human rights organizations.
Sithar, who obtained human rights awards from the U.S authorities, stated the renewed enchantment displays an absence of progress in authorized calls for since 2023. She accused the ministry, which acted as mediator, of repeatedly urging employees to just accept compensation and finish the dispute, with out addressing authorized safety for employees and unions.
“General, there is no such thing as a answer for employees, solely stress to just accept compensation and cease the strike,” Sithar stated. “If the regulation was correctly utilized, the dispute might be resolved by the Ministry of Labor alone. Nevertheless, the regulation has not been enforced in opposition to the corporate.”
Responding to the claims, the Labor Ministry spokesperson Solar Mesa stated that they’ve already resolved 27 occasions, which has already proven the ministry’s will. Mesa additional said that if there is no such thing as a political propaganda or agenda behind it, including that the choice of going to courtroom is an choice in accordance with authorized procedures.
In the meantime, Sithar asserted that the dismissals had been discriminatory and violated labor legal guidelines, making the case comparatively easy, including that she was disillusioned by the ministry’s name to settle the case in courtroom. The authorities are conscious of the employees’ lack of belief within the judicial system, she advised CamboJA Information.
“We’re unfairly accused, imprisoned, and penalized. How can employees depend on a system that has not delivered justice?” she stated. “The place do employees discover the time and assets to sue an organization backed by hundreds of thousands of {dollars}?”
In the intervening time, round 80 employees have refused compensation and proceed to stage protests, vowing to keep up their protest till a decision is reached.
Yi Soksan, a senior investigator at human rights group Adhoc, stated the labor dispute involving NagaWorld can solely be resolved if corruption within the dispute-resolution course of is addressed first. So long as corruption persists, he stated, there will likely be no justice. Nevertheless, the justice that employees have obtained up to now has come from public consciousness and recognition by the worldwide neighborhood of their battle.
“Justice can’t prevail over corruption. They’ve obtained justice from the world, however not from Cambodia—what they’ve obtained as an alternative are awards and recognition from the worldwide neighborhood,” stated Soksan.
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