Cambodian union leader Chhim Sithar vows to continue striking against Cambodia's largest casino, Nagaworld.
According to Cambodian and Asian news media, Sithar has vowed to "continue the strike until justice is served." Despite just being released from a two-year prison sentence for leading a strike against the casino in 2021, she remains steadfast. The media has called this the "longest strike" in Cambodian history.
The strike began in December 2021, led by Sithar, aimed at protesting massive layoffs and alleged union busting at the capital's Phnom Penh casino. In January 2022, she was arrested and charged while leading a demonstration of dismissed employees.
It is reported that NagaCorp's entertainment group, due to financial difficulties, laid off 373 employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
"Regarding our initiative to fight for union rights at NagaWorld, we will continue to strike until a solution is found. This has been our stance since the first strike," added Sithar.
After Sithar's arrest in January 2022, the Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training announced in December 2022 that 200 former employees had withdrawn their lawsuit after receiving compensation.
In August, NagaWorld's operator NagaCorp released a recent announcement stating that its Vladivostok project might incur losses and issued a profit warning.
That same month, the operator published its financial report for the first half of the year, showing a 12.3% increase year-on-year.
