NagaCorp says biz ‘normal’ despite strike at NagaWorld

Dec 21, 2021 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  

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Casino developer and operator NagaCorp Ltd says operations at its NagaWorld casino complex in Cambodia “remained normal”, despite a strike on Saturday. The Hong Kong-listed company said in a Sunday filing that the industrial action was “illegal”, and involved a “relatively small number” of the group’s employees.

Last week, a labour union had announced that staff at NagaWorld were to strike from Saturday, after unresolved disputes with the resort operator, and following inconclusive results of government-mediated talks between management and staff.

The union – “Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld” – wanted NagaCorp to agree a number of requests, including reversal of some lay-offs, and the rehiring of some workers already let go, including some union leaders.

NagaCorp has a long-life monopoly casino licence for the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, via its NagaWorld resort complex (pictured in a file photo).

In Sunday’s filing, the company said the strike had “not affected the company’s operation and business.”

“The group has adequate labour capital and a strong workforce of approximately 6,500 employees (as at the date of this announcement) to support the business operation of the group,” it stated. “All business operations and business of the group remain normal, and the board believes that the illegal strike has had no material negative impact on the overall business and operations of the group.”

The casino firm also said it had obtained a court order, dated December 16, which, according to NagaCorp, stated that the “strike by the union leaders in front of NagaWorld complex was illegal.” The company said additionally that a number of people that had gathered outside the property had been “cleared at around 5pm on 18 December”.

NagaCorp confirmed in a June 7 filing some lay-offs at its complex, as well as some staff pay cuts, the latter with effect from March. The firm said in the June filing that the steps were “proactive measures” to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its latest filing, the company said it had offered what it termed a “mutual separation” plan, to 1,329 employees, “with enhanced compensation in addition to payments” that were required by law. But NagaCorp said 360 of the affected employees “refused to accept the mutual separation plan and served a notification of potential strike on 18 December.”

From early March until reopening on September 15, the NagaWorld complex had been shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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