Cambodia: NagaCorp to cut 600 jobs

NagaCorp is to lay off almost 600 employees amid criticism from unions.

Cambodia.- Casino operator and developer NagaCorp has started to lay off part of its staff despite having reported a net profit of US$102.3m and a gross profit of US$427m in 2020.

Close to 600 employees will lose their positions, a move that has been highly criticised by unions but is not expected. In May, NagaCorp announced a plan to cut more than 1,300 jobs.

According to the company, the layoffs are necessary due to the ongoing closure of its casino, but, according to local media, workers claims the layoffs are designed to reduce union presence in the workplace.

According to the Cambodianess newspaper, Chhun Sokha, vice president of the NagaWorld Union, said more than 500 employees union leaders, activists and members have received layoff notices.

Sokha also claimed that NagaCorp’s offer to provide the government with subsidies to help Cambodian people during the Covid-19 pandemic was “fake”. She said the company did nothing to help its workers keep their jobs.

She added that those laid off include pregnant women and recent mothers.

NagaWorld reported a 99.4 per cent year-on-year increase in average daily mass table game buy-ins in the first quarter of 2021. In March, NagaCorp suspended its activities after 11 staff members tested positive for Covid-19.