Construction workers desperate after being ghosted by Chinese developer
- Bong Burgundy
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Construction workers desperate after being ghosted by Chinese developer
A Chinese man threatened to jump off the 21st floor of the Jin Yangxing construction site in Phnom Penh on October 21. Dozens of workers blocked the road to protest the developer's failure to pay the $1 million project on time.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon on Street 508 in Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh. When the man standing on the roof approached the railing and wanted to jump, the protesting workers on the ground shouted at the man telling him not to jump. The construction site was affixed with a banner saying "A certain group scams my hard-earned money".
The man threatening to jump from the roof was identified as Lao Chen, a construction worker who worked on the site. He had not been paid his salary for 4 months and said that he was left with no choice but to end his life. Lao Chen told reporters that he was supporting his entire family with the money earned from working on the construction site and that there was no way to continue unless he was paid. "The mental pressure is too great", he said.
Lao Chen was joined by over 30 construction workers protesting on the ground. They had blocked the road and held banners and chanted that the unscrupulous developers must pay their salary.
The project leader, Mr. Zhou, told reporters that the building was a Sino-Cambodian joint venture project. Construction had started in March this year and the developer had agreed to pay $1 million for every 10 stories completed. The construction site employs 110 people in total, of which 89 are Chinese and 21 are Cambodian. "After the 10th story was completed at the end of July, the developer paid $310,000 in cash and $690,000 in checks. The cooperation was fairly reliable", Mr. Zhou said.
When the building reached 22 stories on September 13, the second payment was delayed. Mr. Zhou said that the developer came to Cambodia on October 1 and said that he was trying to resolve the issue. "I picked him up and we ate together. He said that he would pay every penny, but then we could not contact him anymore" Mr. Zhou said.
Upon hearing that the developer could not be contacted, the workers arranged a protest on October 19. Mr. Zhou attended a meeting representing the workers with the district mayor, but the developers from Cambodia and China did not turn up.
The negotiations failed and the workers arranged another protest on October 21. Lao Chen went to the construction site around lunch time and went to the roof attempting to jump. "I was thinking about how I couldn't get the salary for my work, and I didn't have the money to buy a plane ticket back to China", he said. "I was not afraid at all when I was standing on the roof of the building and I was about to jump."
For three hours, Lao Chen's coworkers did their best to talk him out of committing suicide. Mr. Zhou, the project leader, said that Lao Chen had been working on various projects with him for three or four years, and that this situation had made him desperate. "I called Lao Chen to the meeting with the district mayor and asked him to think about his children at home. We are getting the salary bit by bit, but if he jumps there will be nothing left", Mr. Zhou said.
The Chinese developers did not attend the new negotiations held on Wednesday afternoon. The Cambodian developer present agreed to pay the workers $20,000 for living expenses first, and another $100,000 on November 5.
"The Chinese people should resolve the problem among themselves. Now I can only hope that the Chinese developer meets with the workers and takes responsibility. Regardless if he can pay them or not, he should come forward and explain himself", Mr. Zhou said.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon on Street 508 in Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh. When the man standing on the roof approached the railing and wanted to jump, the protesting workers on the ground shouted at the man telling him not to jump. The construction site was affixed with a banner saying "A certain group scams my hard-earned money".
The man threatening to jump from the roof was identified as Lao Chen, a construction worker who worked on the site. He had not been paid his salary for 4 months and said that he was left with no choice but to end his life. Lao Chen told reporters that he was supporting his entire family with the money earned from working on the construction site and that there was no way to continue unless he was paid. "The mental pressure is too great", he said.
Lao Chen was joined by over 30 construction workers protesting on the ground. They had blocked the road and held banners and chanted that the unscrupulous developers must pay their salary.
The project leader, Mr. Zhou, told reporters that the building was a Sino-Cambodian joint venture project. Construction had started in March this year and the developer had agreed to pay $1 million for every 10 stories completed. The construction site employs 110 people in total, of which 89 are Chinese and 21 are Cambodian. "After the 10th story was completed at the end of July, the developer paid $310,000 in cash and $690,000 in checks. The cooperation was fairly reliable", Mr. Zhou said.
When the building reached 22 stories on September 13, the second payment was delayed. Mr. Zhou said that the developer came to Cambodia on October 1 and said that he was trying to resolve the issue. "I picked him up and we ate together. He said that he would pay every penny, but then we could not contact him anymore" Mr. Zhou said.
Upon hearing that the developer could not be contacted, the workers arranged a protest on October 19. Mr. Zhou attended a meeting representing the workers with the district mayor, but the developers from Cambodia and China did not turn up.
The negotiations failed and the workers arranged another protest on October 21. Lao Chen went to the construction site around lunch time and went to the roof attempting to jump. "I was thinking about how I couldn't get the salary for my work, and I didn't have the money to buy a plane ticket back to China", he said. "I was not afraid at all when I was standing on the roof of the building and I was about to jump."
For three hours, Lao Chen's coworkers did their best to talk him out of committing suicide. Mr. Zhou, the project leader, said that Lao Chen had been working on various projects with him for three or four years, and that this situation had made him desperate. "I called Lao Chen to the meeting with the district mayor and asked him to think about his children at home. We are getting the salary bit by bit, but if he jumps there will be nothing left", Mr. Zhou said.
The Chinese developers did not attend the new negotiations held on Wednesday afternoon. The Cambodian developer present agreed to pay the workers $20,000 for living expenses first, and another $100,000 on November 5.
"The Chinese people should resolve the problem among themselves. Now I can only hope that the Chinese developer meets with the workers and takes responsibility. Regardless if he can pay them or not, he should come forward and explain himself", Mr. Zhou said.
Bringing the news. You stay classy, nas, Cambodia.
Autumn wind sweeps the fallen leaves.
- springrain
- I'm on 3000; na na, na na na
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But, the grass must bend when the wind blows across it.
'History is a set of lies agreed upon.'
Attributed to Napoleon
Attributed to Napoleon
- Hairy-nosed Otter
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I have always said a Commie that turns Cappo is far worse than a Cappo who turns Commie.
OP ^^^ proof
again.
OP ^^^ proof
again.
...then he smiled again, and slipped away, further on up the stream
Why did you choose to blur out the first character Bong Burgundy?
None but ourselves can free our mind.
- Bong Burgundy
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Wasn’t us
Bringing the news. You stay classy, nas, Cambodia.
Ah ok, I saw the same thread on CEO without the blur, they must have copied it from another source then.
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Unfortunate for the workers, but the empty hulk will provide lovely shade for the neighbours for many years to come, so that's good.
And I'm sure the developer has been strictly following the foreigner quota system with the Labour Dept. With only 21 Cambodians working there, the quota system, IF I understand it correctly, ensures that all the Chinese have special high level skills that cannot be found in Cambodian construction workers. You know, like bending rebar or managing a plastic bucket of concrete.
Isn't that how it is supposed to work? Or...??
And I'm sure the developer has been strictly following the foreigner quota system with the Labour Dept. With only 21 Cambodians working there, the quota system, IF I understand it correctly, ensures that all the Chinese have special high level skills that cannot be found in Cambodian construction workers. You know, like bending rebar or managing a plastic bucket of concrete.
Isn't that how it is supposed to work? Or...??
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- I have some social problems
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what pisses me off is that they can start a project without being fully funded,not just the workers will be out of pocket but all the supply companies ,transport ect, i seen this happen too often in Australia also,especially in the mines, i seen good small companies go broke from some stupid half cocked projects ,and the main players just walk away,and repeat.
1
1
Like Mr. McDonald in Atlantic City in the States? I think it's fair. The contractors and suppliers, the real workers, loose their businesses, and McDonald uses his on-paper-only multimillion dollar losses to reduce his taxes to zero for a dozen years. Clearly he is a good genius.
He already has a few Chinese bank accounts. Would he fit right in in the new Cambodia? Maybe he is already posting on K440 as Guest, looking for new digs?
He already has a few Chinese bank accounts. Would he fit right in in the new Cambodia? Maybe he is already posting on K440 as Guest, looking for new digs?
Never trust a Chinese developer.
Never trust a Chinese developer.
Never trust any developer. Always a gamble inspired by greed.
Never trust any developer. Always a gamble inspired by greed.
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Developers in China ghosting their workers and investors is a time honored tradition. I'm actually somewhat surprised that these Chinese workers fell for it.
- Hairy-nosed Otter
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Bring back the BLF
Send over the CFMEU.
(in joke for those familiar with the Oz industrial relations scene)
We need real hard men as delegates on this site methinks.
If push comes to shove, they'll just send the local 'Angels sergeant at arms and a couple of his boys over to have a polite breakfast with the developers family before starting work tomorrow morning.
Sorted.
Join your union boys and girls,
but make sure you pick one that has hairy balls.
Send over the CFMEU.
(in joke for those familiar with the Oz industrial relations scene)
We need real hard men as delegates on this site methinks.
If push comes to shove, they'll just send the local 'Angels sergeant at arms and a couple of his boys over to have a polite breakfast with the developers family before starting work tomorrow morning.
Sorted.
Join your union boys and girls,
but make sure you pick one that has hairy balls.
...then he smiled again, and slipped away, further on up the stream
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