Another three former employees of NagaWorld Integrated Resort have accepted the payment offered to end their employment dispute with company, according to a February 4 press release from of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training.
The 97-page report, “Only ‘Instant Noodle’ Unions Survive: Union Busting in Cambodia’s Garment and Tourism Sectors,” documents how the Cambodian government and some employers have used various legal and administrative tactics during the Covid-19 pandemic to weaken Cambodia’s independent union movement and violate workers’ rights. Measures adopted to address the severe economic impacts of the pandemic have punished independent unions while benefitting employer-friendly unions, which could register quickly with the government, like “making instant noodles,” in the words of a prominent union leader.
A number of union members and factory workers have posted messages on social media expressing their desire for a new monthly minimum wage of more than $200, with the National Council for Minimum Wage (NCMW) in negotiations.
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training said three more laid-off NagaWorld employees had accepted severance pay, following several protests. This brings the total number of former employees who have taken the settlements to 239, with 134 still holding out and pursuing their protest against the integrated casino resort.
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training has revealed the latest range in negotiations for next year's monthly minimum wage for textile-related sectors, which is expected to rise to just below $200.