Phnom Penh: Concerning the situation where the owner of Y&W Garment absconded without meeting the responsibility to provide compensation to the workers and opted to leave certain assets in the factory for gradual sale to the workers, Pav Sina, the President of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, emphasized that selling off factory assets would not adequately compensate the workers in compliance with legal standards. He urged the government's leadership to promptly allocate funds from the state budget to resolve the workers' challenges effectively.

Following the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training's issuance of six measures on March 12 to tackle the matter at Y&W Garment, Pav Sina noted that the second measure involved retaining property and materials at the factory premises for compensating the workers. However, it was highlighted that utilizing these assets may not align with legal requirements for providing appropriate compensation to the workers.

Regarding the situation with the Y&W factory owner who absconded without meeting their obligations, Pav Sina stated that it is not permissible to utilize funds from the sale of equipment to cover additional benefits as mandated by the law. He emphasized that the government must currently utilize the state budget to address the workers' issues effectively.

Regarding the fourth measure, the Ministry of Labor verified that local authorities have requested all landlords to postpone rent payments while awaiting wages and other entitlements from Y&W. Pav Sina noted the potential challenges in this request, highlighting that landlords also bear similar obligations, including settling bank debts.

He further voiced his endorsement for the Ministry of Labor's sixth measure, which involves finalizing legal procedures to dispatch court orders to the factory owners' home country, holding them accountable for fulfilling diverse obligations in Cambodia.

He remarked, "This is a positive and innovative development for Cambodia, but its implementation may pose a challenge for attracting future investors to the country, potentially instilling fear among them."