The National Assembly has announced the formation of a bipartisan working group, first promised earlier this month, to examine the controversial draft trade union law.

The working group, which was established on Wednesday, is composed of five opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party members and five members of the Cambodian People’s Party.

Independent unions have criticised the latest version of the trade union law for making unions more open to government scrutiny, and enabling authorities to de-register them.

Ke Sovannaroth, the opposition head of parliament’s labour commission, hailed the working group’s creation.

“We need to discuss this draft law in order to protect workers’ interests, and before any approval, we need to ensure the draft law addresses what workers want,” she said.

CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said the different wings of the working group would meet with each other next Tuesday.

“We will discuss this on the 29th at the National Assembly . . . If things are unclear, we will call on the [Ministry of Labour] to come clarify to us in order to make the law acceptable and in the interest of all workers and investors.”

Leng Peng Long, the general secretary of the National Assembly, said the working group was in “no rush” to pass the law.

“Now we need to collect more ideas to make the law become a good law.”