Authorities arrested a ninth NagaWorld union members late Friday, with authorities and armed security personnel attempting to make more arrests but were prevented by casino workers who formed a human shield to block officials.
NagaWorld strike participation swelled to around 1,000 active and laid-off workers Tuesday evening, as members of the union waited to hear from its leadership who met with the casino’s management and Phnom Penh authorities all day Tuesday.
Accusations of foreign influence made against a local casino workers’ union mirror rhetoric deployed by government officials over the last few years to justify charges of treason, foreign interference and of a purported color revolution against the political opposition, activists and civil society groups.
Breaking its silence, NagaCorp released a statement on Sunday and claimed that a workers’ strike in Phnom Penh, which has lasted three days, would not affect the casino’s operations.
A NagaWorld union representative said the Arbitration Council refused to adjudicate on the validity of the mega casino’s decision to layoff more than 1,300 workers, with a labor advocate saying the council wants a labor inspection procedure to decide the matter.
Around 30 construction workers protested at the Hui W Travel Agent construction site — a firm connected to Chinese payment service Huione — after they were not paid salaries, with a resolution reached hours later.
Following years of complaints about poor service, Cintri was put under state management in 2019, and as of July its work split up among three companies. Promises to keep all employees on the payroll were broken when 1,176 workers were terminated as of July 1.
Some NagaWorld casino workers who rejected voluntary termination packages — arguing that the company’s dismissals illegally targeted union activists — have now been fired and had thousands of dollars wired to their accounts.
NagaWorld union representatives met with the Labor Ministry on Monday as the workers accuse the Phnom Penh casino of trying to destroy the union through mass layoffs targeting top labor leaders and those active in support.
NagaWorld workers are being offered over $1,000 in compensation for layoffs, they said, with some accepting due to financial difficulties and others rejecting the offer saying they want to stand in solidarity with their union.
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