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Dozens of NagaWorld casino union members gathered outside the establishment on Friday despite a legal action, urging the company and the government to end a labor dispute that has dragged on for more than four years.
About 50 members of the Labour Rights Supported Union (LRSU) assembled outside the NagaWorld building where they held banners, beat drums and sang protest songs to compel the management to reinstate dismissed workers, withdraw criminal charges against union members and renew negotiations.
The dispute began in 2021 after NagaWorld laid off more than 1,300 employees, including union leaders and members. Workers allege the dismissals were aimed at weakening the independent union, while the company maintained that the layoffs were part of a restructuring effort during the pandemic.
Sok Sreymeas, a NagaWorld striker and former pit supervisor, said more than four years have passed since the company dismissed workers, many of whom were union leaders and members.
She felt the dismissal was a discrimination against the independent union, noting that the dispute has caused financial hardship and emotional stress.
“The company did not dismiss us in accordance with the labor law, and it was not because of the COVID-19 crisis,” she said. “The company wanted to eliminate the independent union because many who were laid off were union leaders and members.”
Sreymeas said workers continue to strike after futile attempts to resolve the dispute through the Ministry of Labor and the Arbitration Council; and that going by way of court action was financially challenging.
“We are ordinary workers. How can we afford lawyers to fight NagaWorld? Striking is our only option, and Cambodia does not have a labor court like other countries,” she shared.
She urged the government to facilitate a solution for both parties. “If the government changes its [current] position and helps to find a solution, it would make a huge difference. We are doing this on our own accord because we want justice,” she said.
Another striker, Ouch Sopheary, pointed out that what she has been doing is demand for justice and solutions that follow the labor law. They have “no intention to hide anything”, she said.
The court recently questioned 10 LRSU members who were charged with “aggravated intentional damage”. Sopheary urged the court to consider the nature of their strikes, which she said have been peaceful, adding that no harm was done to the company.
“Find us a solution, then we will stop striking outside the company. The place where we are conducting the strike is not harmful or destructive to the company. Although we are facing financial hardship, we continue to fight for a solution,” she said.
The LRSU criticized the Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s recent decision to summon union members for questioning over alleged “aggravated intentional damage”, noting that the charges were imposed after their peaceful strikes. The union called for all charges to be dropped and urged authorities to respect workers’ rights to peaceful union activities.
In May 2024, the Supreme Court upheld convictions against eight NagaWorld union leaders and activists, who were sentenced to one to two years imprisonment. Chhim Sithar, the only activist who served prison time, was released in September 2024 after completing her sentence.
Sun Mesa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, previously said the ministry mediated the dispute 27 times, but workers rejected the proposals put forward through the Arbitration Council.
CamboJA News contacted NagaWorld assistant director of marketing communications Melanie Loong via email for comment regarding the strike but no response was received at the time of publication.
NagaWorld holds a monopoly on casino operations in Phnom Penh under a gaming license that runs until 2065.
Its parent company, NagaCorp, has been recognized as the “most honored company” in the Extel 2026 Asia Executive Team Rankings and was among the top three companies in the consumer service sector.
Ny Sokha, president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc), said the continued use of legal measures against NagaWorld strikers puts pressure on union members and restricts their freedom to peacefully protest and demand solutions from their employer.
“Receiving court summons exerts legal pressure while they suffer from a lack of resolution from the company,” Sokha said. “This demonstrates the government’s failure to address the workers’ demands and promote union freedom which has drawn criticism from the international community.”
Sokha said the longer the dispute, the greater the impact on the government’s reputation, urging NagaWorld and relevant authorities to come up with a solution through legal negotiations.
