10 Cambodian workers arrested in wage protest

Ten workers were arrested in Cambodia Saturday after more than 200 protesters, demanding higher wages and better working conditions, burnt a factory gate and hurled stones at the police.

The violence took place at the Juhui footwear factory in Choeung Prey district of Kampong Cham province, where demonstrators set the factory gate on fire, Xinhua reported.

"Protesters wanted to destroy the factory and our security forces intervened, but they did not listen to us and threw gasoline and rocks at us. Eight police officers were injured as 10 protesters were arrested in the incident," a police official said.

The police dispersed the protesters after the rally turned violent, he added.

According to the official, the workers have been protesting for nearly two months as the factory terminated their contracts for joining protests.

However, the factory claimed that the concerned workers had abandoned their jobs.

It was the second incident at the factory within the span of a month.

Close to 2,000 protesting workers stormed onto the factory ground Oct 6 and left at least two people injured.

Strikes for higher wages or better working conditions are common in the garment and footwear industry.

The footwear industry comprises 960 factories with more than 620,000 workers, mostly females.

The minimum monthly pay for the sector is $100.