Timeline of King's Land Struggle

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  • July 13, 2007 - Garment Workers Democratic Union of King’s Land Garment Co., Ltd which is an affiliate of C.CAWDU formed after election. (Union recognized by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training.)

  • July 14 & 16, 2007 - Elected leaders submit written requests to meet with company regarding workplace issues. Company refuses.

  • Aug 17, 2007 - Employer fails to appear for Labor Dispute Dept. reconciliation meeting.

  • Aug 18, 2007 - Union leaders’ submitted another request for a meeting but was denied.

  • Aug 22, 2007 - C.CAWDU officers denied entrance to factory for meeting with the company. Managing Director pulls group leaders from production lines, directing them to direct their workers to resign from union immediately.

  • Aug 23, 2007 - C.CAWDU filed a complaint to the Labor Dispute Dept regarding a number of working conditions and illegal terminations of union workers, six of which occurred in Aug ’07. (Ms. Phal Savin, union Vice President, Ms. Se Seng, activist,. Mr. Hin Deang, activist, Mr. Hin Thea, activist, and Mr. Nhean Chantha, activist. Mr. Chuon Vanna, union Treasurer, was terminated on Aug 31, 2007 and asked to return Sept 3, 2007.)

  • Aug 24, 2007 - Company fails to show for Labor Dispute reconciliations.

  • Sept 3, 2007 - Mr. Chuon Vanna was barred outside the factory gate. The Managing Director refused to discuss this with Mr. Ly Bunyin and Ms. Phal Savin (President and V.P.). Workers and other activists stopped working for about 40 minutes to pressure the company to properly respond to Chuon Vanna and the five other previous terminations.

  • Sept 4, 2007 - The managing director threatened Ly Bunyin to resign from the factory or be terminated and sued in court. Ly Bunyin did not agree. The Company issued him a suspension letter. C.CAWDU submitted another complaint to the Labor Dispute Department.

  • Sept 5, 2007 - Employer failed to appear at reconciliations with Labor Dispute officer.

  • Sept 8, 2007 - Sao Khatda (activist) terminated based on accusations that he did not follow the Company’s disciplinary rules.

  • Sept 10, 2007 - Ly Bunyin again threatened, with added bribery as incentive to resign. Terminated upon refusal.

  • Sept 21, 2007 - Employer fails to appear for Labor Dispute meeting. C.CAWDU requests case be forwarded to the Arbitration Council.

  • Sept 27, 2007 - Activists Ms. Van Huon and Mr. Long Chhunleng accused of breaking the company’s rules and terminated. (Violates Article 74 of Cambodian labor law on compliance of the procedures of unlimited duration contract.)

  • Oct 6, 2007 - Activists Ms. Chan Simhon and Ms. Phann Touch accused of breaking the Company’s rules and terminated.

  • Oct 19, 2007 - C.CAWDU sent a letter to the company speaking out against discrimination and attacks on the union rights. Company didn’t give a response.

  • Oct 30, 2007 - Activists Mr. Say Aun and Mr. Long Chhun Eng were terminated after posting in the factory an agreement with the Arbitration Council about a number of working conditions violations.

  • Dec 27, 2007 - Union advisor Kur Kimleng was terminated on the accusation that he was reading a book on working hours.
  • Jan 11, 2008 - Commencement of strike.

  • Feb 1, 2008 – C.CAWDU reaches out to international labor solidarity organizations in order to put pressure on the buyers of the factory.

  • Feb 6, 2008 - Workers came to factory to collect January pay. They were told to wait (3-4:30), told to come in by security. Ten workers injured in violence outside factory gates when the cars of the King’s Land factory Administrator and Accountant drove out of factory hitting several workers. There was also incidence of police beatings.

  • Mar 18, 2008 - C.CAWDU meets with King’s Land management and ILO, nothing accomplished. Employer visited employees’ homes saying that the union already took their money, and now doesn’t care about them, so they may as well return to work.

  • Week of March 25, 2008 - CCAWDU submitted a proposal to King’s Land. King’s Land refused in letter communicated via ILO.

  • Mar 30, 2008 - Police dept. invites workers to come for recording case details.

  • Apr 10, 2008 - Factory management refuses to meet with union on April 12 as previously committed.