Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Family of dead labour trainee to file complaint

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Wednesday, 09 March 2011 15:01 Mom Kunthear and Thet Sambath

The family of a woman who died last month at the IIS labour recruitment company in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district said yesterday that they will file a complaint against the firm with local rights group Licadho to seek additional compensation.

Chea Pov, the mother of the deceased, said she has received US$4,000 in compensation from the firm but is now seeking a total of $10,000.

“I accepted the money for my daughter’s funeral and now I demand more after the funeral,” she said. “Do you think that $4,000 is enough for my daughter’s life?” she said.

Chheam Sopheap, 36, died at the IIS office on February 26 after battling a month-long illness during which the company did not allow her to go to hospital for treatment, the family said.

Chheam Sopheap’s husband, Heng Saroeun, 52, said yesterday the family had filed the complaint in order to find justice for his wife.

Thach Sotharath, director of IIS, said on Monday that he is not concerned by complaint because his company had already paid compensation in front of police officials and the family had agreed to drop its complaint against the firm.

“It is their right to file the complaint, but they are breaking their promise with me and police officials,” he said, adding that he has the option of counter-suing the family.

“We already gave them $4,000 to help them because we see they are poor. We cannot pay what they are requesting,” he said, adding that the woman’s death, which he said was the result of a heart attack, was not the fault of ISS.

Am Sam Ath, a technical supervisor for Licadho, said yesterday that the group would help the victim’s family when the complaint was officially filed.

“They have a right to file a complaint against the firm even though they received compensation, but now it is just civil compensation,” he said.

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