At least eight female garment workers were injured on Monday in clashes with Cambodian riot police, who used shields and electric shock batons to end a protest over a factory closure, witnesses and a union said.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Reuters
At least eight female garment workers were injured on Monday in clashes with Cambodian riot police, who used shields and electric shock batons to end a protest over a factory closure, witnesses and a union said.
Some demonstrators were pushed to the ground and shocked with batons when police with guns and riot gear were deployed to forcibly end a road blockade by an estimated 1,000 female workers who were demanding unpaid wages and compensation after a local factory went bankrupt.
The clashes were the latest setback for an industry that forms a vital part of Cambodia’s fledgling $10 billion economy. The garment sector was badly hit during the global economic slump from 2008 and more recently has been plagued by strikes over low pay and working conditions.
“Police were ordered to beat up workers, some were hit in the heads and shoulders and others were pushed to the ground,” said Chhoeun Chanthy, a 30-year-old garment worker . “We were not afraid, we were peaceful.”
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