Failing to receive a response to a letter submitted to Prime Minister Hun Sen via his Facebook page last week, a group of unions yesterday took their cause to the Council of Ministers, this time submitting a formal letter requesting a sit-down with the premier to discuss further revisions to the draft union law before it is voted on the National Assembly next month.

The unions say there are more than a dozen points that still need to be addressed, and in its current form, the law is in violation of international labour conventions, weakening the ability of unions to represent their members.

“We ask the prime minister to listen to our concerns about employers and some officials being able to interfere in the internal affairs of the unions,” said Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union.

Sen Savorn, an official at the Council of Ministers in charge of the complaint reception, said he would pass the letter onto senior officials for review.

“For the government, [Hun Sen] is very open-minded and has never oppressed the unions or workers,” he said.