Labor
Scores of factories ‘set to sue’ over wage strike
The owners of 170 factories have handed power of attorney to the nation’s factories association ahead of a potential lawsuit directed at the leaders of six union groups. Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) secretary-general Ken Loo said yesterday that the factories would seek damages related ...
Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/scores-factories-%E2%80%98set-sue%E2%80%99-over-wage-strike
As garment sector strikes loom, soldiers watch over factories
Armed soldiers will continue to patrol Veng Sreng Street, the garment factory-lined thoroughfare in Phnom Penh’s Pur Senchey district where military police shot dead five workers during a nationwide strike last month, until labor unrest in the garment sector subsides, the deputy commander of the ...
Mech Dara and Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/as-garment-sector-strikes-loom-soldiers-watch-over-factories-53275/
‘Cambodian’ workers die in Thailand
Two Cambodian nationals are among those reported dead following the collapse of a beam at a construction site yesterday on the outskirts of Bangkok. The death toll stood at 11 as of 4pm yesterday, while another 17 were reported injured. A concrete beam fell down at the ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/%E2%80%98cambodian%E2%80%99-workers-die-thailand
Strike justified, suppression not, experts say
Garment workers’ calls for a $160 minimum wage are justified and should be honored, a new report by an international team of academics and labor experts has found. The authors—including a team from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, South Korean and ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/strike-justified-suppression-not-experts-say-53255/
Hun Sen warns strikes will lead to factory closures
Prime Minister Hun Sen once again warned the labor union leaders would be held responsible for the closure of factories which can be caused by protests and strikes. “It is very difficult to attract the garment investors to Cambodia, so if the protests and strikes ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=OTJjZTJiYTAzNzE
Cambodian PM holds opposition-backed unions responsible for future factory closures due to strikes
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that the opposition-aligned unions, inciting garment workers to stage strikes for higher wages, must take responsibilities for any future closures of factories. “The government has worked very hard to attract investors to build factories and has urged manufacturers to ...
Xinhuanet News Staff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-02/25/c_133142013.htm
Unions set to begin first phase of nationwide strike
A coalition of 18 labor unions and associations is today set to begin the first phase of a nationwide labor strike in the garment sector by calling on workers in about 100 factories to boycott working overtime, according to union leaders. Despite efforts by the government ...
Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/unions-set-to-begin-first-phase-of-nationwide-strike-52989/
Labor union asks workers not to go on strike
Trade Union Workers Federation of Progress Democracy (TUWFPD) on Sunday appealed to workers in garment sector not to attend strikes called by other union leaders, saying that the strikes would adversely affect the workers themselves. The strikes are scheduled for March 12. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=ZWQ1MjNlZTBhZDl
800 garment workers on peaceful strike
Some 800 workers from a Taiwanese-owned Yu Da Garment Industry (Cambodia) Co., Ltd protested Saturday to demand better working condition and pay. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=NDdhZDYwNTY3NDR
Cambodian garment workers, bloodied in crackdown, continue wage struggle
Just over a month after a brutal police crackdown on striking Cambodian garment workers left at least five people dead, the country’s unions are calling for another strike in March, increasing the likelihood of further violence. At issue is the still-unresolved question of the workers’ minimum monthly wage. Roughly 700,000 ...
Christina Larson
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-20/cambodian-garment-workers-bloodied-in-crackdown-continue-wage-struggle
Cambodia says Thai soldiers shoot dead 69 Cambodians illegally crossing border in 2013
Cambodia said Thursday that Thai soldiers shot and killed 69 Cambodians who were claimed to illegally cross the border between the two countries last year, up from 45 a year earlier. ...
Shanghai Daily News Staff
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=201807
Trafficking fight goes on: gov’t
Although human-trafficking cases dealt with by the Ministry of Interior decreased significantly in 2013, suggesting progress was being made in tackling the crime, trafficking in persons continues to be a major challenge for the government, the ministry said in its annual report on Tuesday. According to ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/trafficking-fight-goes-gov%E2%80%99t
Printing shops’ refusal to print strike leaflets delays unions
A coalition of labor unions will today begin distributing leaflets calling on supporters to attend a nationwide strike in March, two days after the planned distribution date due to the fact the majority of printing houses in the city refused to print the flyers. Union representatives ...
Matt Blomberg and Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/printing-shops-refusal-to-print-strike-leaflets-delays-unions-52708/
Cambodia discusses garment issues with buyers from global brands
Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon on Wednesday met with a delegation representing 30 global brands and global trade unions to discuss the current situation of garment sector. The delegation comprised 27 global brands including H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Gap Inc., Adidas, Puma, Levi ...
Xinhuanet News Staff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-02/19/c_133128000.htm
Sam Rainsy asks South Korea to protect rights of Cambodians workers
The opposition leader Sam Rainsy called on South Korea to protect the rights of Cambodian people during his visit earlier this month. Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Byung-Chul Hyun, said in a letter to Sam Rainsy that “I share your concerns for ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=15&token=YjMxNzIwNWRkZmF
Protests ‘degrading security’
High-ranking government officials expounded on the detrimental effect political and labour demonstrations are having on Cambodia’s security during an annual meeting of police officials yesterday. In a speech to about 500 police in leadership positions, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said demonstrations, which have exploded since July’s ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/protests-%E2%80%98degrading-security%E2%80%99
Raises pending, prices soaring
Since Minister of Labour Ith Sam Heng announced in late-December that the ministry would hike the minimum monthly wage for the garment sector to $100, Nuch Sdoeung has, at times, questioned if he could even afford beef. The wage boost from the prior minimum wage ...
Sean Teehan and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/raises-pending-prices-soaring
Rights Group Launches Petition for Release of 21 Demonstrators
The Asian Human Rights Commission has launched an online petition to pressure the Cambodian government to release 21 union activists and workers charged in connection with labor protests last month. Twenty-three workers were arrested in a violent crackdown by government police and security forces early January, ...
Men Kimseng
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/rights-group-launches-petition-for-release-of-21-demonstrators/1853054.html
Alarm over workers to Emirates
Cambodian labourers may soon be recruited to construction sites in the United Arab Emirates, where conditions are described as “tragic” by human rights groups. The Lebanon-based company that would hire the workers under the prospective scheme, Agostine & Raphael Group, is run by Middle Eastern tycoon ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/alarm-over-workers-emirates
Five arrested for trying to traffic women to China
Anti-human trafficking police in Phnom Penh arrested three Cambodians and two Chinese nationals after the group tried to traffic two young women—who had been promised wealthy husbands—to work as prostitutes in China, police said Monday. Keo Thea, chief of the municipal anti-human trafficking police, said the ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/five-arrested-for-trying-to-traffic-women-to-china-52479/
Faintings halved in 2013: gov’t
The number of workers fainting in garment and footwear factories halved in 2013, a National Social Security Fund (NSSF) report released last week claims – a decline the Ministry of Labour puts down to increased education. The NSSF, which is part of the ministry, recorded 823 ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/faintings-halved-2013-gov%E2%80%99t
Detainee speaks out online
As lawyers for 21 defendants denied bail by the Court of Appeal last week wait for the Supreme Court to respond to their appeals, the most high-profile of the detainees is speaking out via social media. On Friday night, Prak Sovannary, wife of Vorn Pov – ...
Sean Teehan and Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/detainee-speaks-out-online
Cambodia seeks to send workers to Arab Emirates
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training is working for the signing of MOU for Cambodian laborers to work in Arab Emirates, Minister Ith Samheng said. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=YTMzNmU3ODc1ZTA
Authority warns as unionists ready to convince 100,000 workers to join nationwide strike
100,000 leaflets would be printed and distributed next week to garment workers in the country to urge them to join nationwide strike to put pressure on the government and the Cambodian courts to release 21 workers in jail and to increase the minimum wage of ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=NWQ1OTJjNzNiMWI