Labor

A group of independent trade unions yesterday put forth a list of demands for changes to Cambodia’s first trade union law, which will be finalised by the government in the coming months. Unionists said the revisions were necessary, as the current draft law would undermine unions ...

At least 24 international apparel brands have pledged to immediately investigate the mass fainting “phenomenon” that has hit the Cambodian garment factories that supply them, the International Labour Organisation says. Executives of global brands had pledged to work together “to determine the precise causes of incidences ...

Multiple government ministries and the International Labor organization will form a group to investigate the mass fainting that have plagued Cambodia’s garment industry over the past several months, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said yesterday. There have been at least 15 mass fainting since the beginning ...

Citing a government investigation that revealed factories colluding with unlicensed subcontractors to use unethical labor sources including prisoners, Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh has asked the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia to urge adherence to labor law. Rehabilitation programs meant to teach vocational skills such ...

The government has dropped controversial criminal penalties targeting unionists in its latest draft of the union law, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said yesterday. Addressing a meeting of representatives of international apparel brands, including Nike, Adidas and PUMA, unions, government officials and the International Labour Organisation, ...

The biggest names in the apparel industry, including Nike, Puma and Gap, would meet today with officials from the Ministry of Labour to discuss issues plaguing the Cambodian garment manufacturing industry, such as mass fainting and contractual disputes, labour activists said yesterday.  Dave Welsh, country ...

Afraid that the Dai Young Cambodia Co garment factory in Phnom Penh would not be renewing its land lease, more than 800 workers protested on Saturday at the factory in Russei Keo district demanding that the owner sign a guarantee of severance pay, labor unions ...

Eighty-five percent of U.S. companies in Southeast Asia plan to expand their business as the region will become more important in the next two years, the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore said on Monday. “ASEAN continues to grow in importance for businesses in the ...

Continuing the spate of mass fainting at Phnom Penh garment factories, 24 workers fainted at the Heart Enterprise factory on Friday, prompting the factory to shut down for the second time in a week, officials said. The Dangkao district garment factory had reopened on Friday ...

Hybrid rice producer SL Agritech Corp. plans to set up a plantation in Cambodia via a joint venture instead of shipping out produce from its Philippine farms, a ranking official said last week. “We are looking at starting the shipment of seeds to Cambodia and to ...

Cambrew yesterday paid the beer promoters who went on strike in late July to demand that the company abide by an Arbitration Council ruling earlier that month that said it owed the women three years of overtime for working on Sundays. The company, which is ...

As the creation of Cambodia’s first law on trade unions enters a final phase this week, labor activists and unions said the draft law as it stands is in urgent need of revision, as it would cripple unions and severely undermine collective bargaining rights. They ...

Almost 200 workers received medical treatment yesterday following yet another mass fainting at the M&V International Manufacturing Ltd garment factory in Kompong Chhnang province. The International Labor Organization said that the factory was a supplier to the Swedish clothing brand H&M and that it was ...

Some 200 factory workers and taxi drivers protested in Phnom Penh yesterday morning to demand that the government take action to curb the rising costs of food and fuel, and threatened larger demonstrations if it failed to actAccording to figures released by the National Institute ...

Following “tough discussions” with Phnom Penh’s deputy governor  yesterday, Angkor Beer promoters agreed to suspend their protest for one week starting today.  Ou Tep Phally, vice-president of the Cambodian Foods and Service Workers’ Federation, said five beer promoters and one union representative negotiated with officials. ...

Cambodia’s garment sector is in danger of losing its reputation for adherence to international labor standards because of the widespread use of “abusive temporary labor contracts,” according to a report released by Yale Law School on Wednesday. “Cambodian garment manufacturers have adopted the practice of ...

Angkor Beer promoters yesterday rejected an offer from the municipality that would have required them to suspend their strike while officials negotiated a solution for them, telling Phnom Penh’s deputy governor that their protest is legal and that their employer is breaking the law. More ...

Phnom Penh City Hall yesterday warned Angkor Beer promoters to protest peacefully until a resolution could be reached on their pay claims, a union representative said. Protests held by the Angkor Beer promoters turned violent on Tuesday evening, with one promoter hospitalized after protestors clashed ...

Staff of the Angkor Village Hotel and Resort in Siem Reap have begun protested after the owner fired a total of 30 trade union officials and members after the staff joined a union in July. The dispute initially started when the owner of the hotel ...

Carlsberg has said it is investigating a strike by Angkor beer promoters, who yesterday vowed to continue in their bid for fair treatment.  More than 30 beer promoters have been striking since last Monday, accusing Angkor brewer Cambrew of refusing to pay overtime despite a ...

Thousands of workers who were sacked after part of the June Textile garment factory burned down in March are finally receiving severance payments and other awards following a ruling from the Arbitration Council. Taing Kisay, an administration assistant at the factory, said yesterday that more ...

Police have told beer promoters protesting outside Cambrew Ltd. offices in Phnom Penh to quiet down as their strike goes into the third day. The strikers who promote Angkor Beer are asking that the brewery honor a decision by the Arbitration Council to award them ...

According to more than 30 Angkor Beer promoters who are protesting Cambrew Ltd’s failure to comply to an Arbitration Council ruling, the company has threatened them with firings. The protestors plan on continuing the strike until the company meets their demands. The Cambodian Food and ...

Vietnam businesses are looking to invest in Cambodia but are faced with a shortage of skilled labor and high transportation costs. The Oversea Entrepreneur Forum in Phnom Penh saw over 100 firms meet to discuss potential partnerships.  It has also been said that further cooperation ...