Last June, 20,000 garment workers went on strike, the largest in recent years, against low wages and unsafe working conditions. Workers at one garment plant in the Takhmau district north of the capital complained about receiving electric shocks from the sewing machines. The workers stayed out for six days despite the bosses ordering them to keep working and locking the gates to prevent them from leaving the plant. But through their persistence, garment workers in Cambodia's 200 factories scored a victory by forcing the bosses to agree to their demand for an increase of $5 in the $40 monthly minimum wage.

About 1,000 garment workers, mainly female , at Flying Dragon (Cambodia) Garment Ltd. rallied December 20 outside the Labor Ministry in Phnom Penh to protest forced overtime. "The management even locks the doors to force them to work overtime," said Ken Chheng Lang, one of the organizers of the demonstration and vice president of the National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia.

The unionist also said that the bosses have implemented a 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. shift without time off for national holidays. A spokesperson from the factory denied workers are forced to work overtime but threatened to fire those who did not show up for work.

"At least five workers faint every day because of the heat in the factory and hard work," said Hen Rany, a 23-year-old worker at Flying Dragon, which employs more than 2,000 people. They have been demanding to be paid a commission per item of clothing made and that overtime be voluntary.

The garment industry in Cambodia is the country's main source of foreign currency, bringing in more than $6 million a year from exports to the United States. Many apparel companies have set up shop in recent years in the country, attracted by the low labor costs.  
 
 
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