Workers protest over unpaid seniority indemnity at Phnom Penh's Por Senchey district in 2020. Heng Chivoan
The Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU) has asked Prime Minister Hun Sen to intervene and help its members, as it claims that more than 1,000 workers had not yet received compensation or justice.
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, meanwhile, suggested that all parties involved in the dispute take their complaints to court.
CCAWDU said in an April 4 statement that in recent years, many workers have exercised their right to form labour organisations within enterprises and businesses where they are employed – in accordance with the law. It claimed that many were summarily dismissed without the compensation they were legally entitled to.
The statement added that 23 chapters of the CCAWDU, equivalent to 1,408 workers, had been affected in this way.
“Some cases have been examined by the labour ministry several times but have not been resolved. Some cases were resolved by the Arbitration Council, but the employers have not complied with the council’s orders,” it said.
CCAWDU regrets that workers have suffered as a result of exercising their legal rights and obligations. Some workers have spent months and years dealing with the repercussions without achieving acceptable results, it added.
“These are serious cases of human rights violations and the exploitation of workers that are prohibited by law,” CCAWDU said.
CCAWDU also expressed frustration with the labour ministry for its delays in dealing with unprofessional and exploitive employers.
“We urge Prime Minister Hun Sen to take action and assign special committees or dedicated institutions, especially from the labour ministry, to resolve the cases attached to these 23 factories and end these long-running labour disputes,” it said.
Labour ministry spokesman Heng Sour told The Post that the ministry could not comment on individual cases.
“What the ministry has experienced in the past is that some cases are still unfinished because the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement – or one party has refused to accept the compensation calculated by the ministry mediators. Other cases are delayed by bankruptcy – workers sometimes continue to sue for compensation from the auction of equipment left by the factory owner,” he added.
Sour said that according to the dispute resolution procedure set out in law, either party to the dispute may appeal the decision in court if they are not satisfied with the arbitrator’s order.
Kaing Monika, deputy secretary-general of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, said he believed the cases were properly handled in accordance with labour law.
“If there are any violations, they should be included in the Independent Report of the International Labour Organisation – Better Factories in Cambodia (ILO-BFC),” he said.
In its statement, CCAWDU said that if no solution is forthcoming, the affected workers will organise a press conference on April 27, and protest in front of the labour ministry’s headquarters on May 1 – International Worker’s Day.
