Collective Unions of Movement of Workers provides training to local union leaders in Takeo province on April 30. PHOTO SUPPLIED
The Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) provided training to 40 local union leaders to strengthen their capacities with additional knowledge to protect the interests of workers.
According to the CUMW’s plans, the capacities of at least 3,000 local union leaders and workers will be strengthened this year.
The April 30 training course for 40 local union leaders from Takeo and Kampong Speu provinces focused on three topics: Strategies to recruit members, negotiation procedures and dispute resolution procedures
CUMW president Pav Sina told The Post that his organisation has always provided training to local union leaders to strengthen their capacities and share new knowledge.
He added that unions have to perform their duties to provide knowledge so that they can become workers' representatives and acquire greater potential for building union power at the grassroots level to solve workers' problems.
“Providing local union leaders with additional knowledge is essential because they are leaders who represent members and workers. Therefore, providing them with the knowledge is the most important thing to form the basis for negotiating and resolving disputes and issues in their own factories,” he said.
Sina added that from November 2022 to December 2023, CUMW will be providing training to local union leaders in 30 factories across the country. Therefore, about 2,500 workers will receive training on different topics.
“We provide training according to our annual plan to our local union leaders. We have trained some of our union leaders in 30 factories, including more than 300 members and activists. In particular, we provided training to about 2,500 members and factory workers on the topics of ending violence and harassment,” he said.
Keat Kimhong, union vice-president at Liv Tan factory in Kampong Speu who attended the April 30 training, said the course was very important for him and other local union leaders to gain more knowledge on practical experience relating to law enforcement in factories in Cambodia.
He added that local unions are currently facing serious challenges with employers' restrictions on forming unions in factories even though the presence of unions in factories is good and legitimate under Cambodian laws.
“After I received this training, I will apply this knowledge, especially with the company. I discuss and coordinate all the works that benefit our workers for them to get decent working conditions. In addition, I will expand and gather as many members and workers as possible to solve common problems of the workers who are experiencing them in my factory,” he said.
