Labor
At the Neak Leung Ferry Terminal, Bribes Pay the Way
Every year, tens of thousands of people cross the Mekong River from Kandal to Prey Veng province to celebrate the Pchum Ben festival with their families. For some, queuing at the Neak Leung ferry terminal breathing in the exhaust fumes of thousands of vehicles can ...
Matt Blomberg and Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/at-the-neak-leung-ferry-terminal-bribes-pay-the-way-44330/
Monitor, GMAC at odds over plan
The head of the Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) program said yesterday that consultations on its new public-disclosure initiative have been going on for more than a year, contrary to claims by a garment factory representative who characterised the process as hasty. Jill Tucker, chief technical adviser ...
Daniel de Carteret and May Kunmakara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/monitor-gmac-odds-over-plan
EU’s Bike Imports from Cambodia Grows Enormously
During the first half of 2013 the import of bicycles in the 27 European Union member states dropped with a big 11%. Almost all EU bike supplying countries saw their export drop; except for one. Cambodia stands out as their export of bicycles to the ...
Jack Oortwijn
http://www.bike-eu.com/Sales-Trends/Market-trends/2013/10/EUs-Bike-Imports-from-Cambodia-Grows-Enormously-1379624W/
Housing Activist in Washington To Push for Cambodian Policy Reforms
Cambodian housing rights activist Tep Vanny is in Washington this week, seeking to increase international pressure on Cambodian authorities to end forced evictions and find resolutions to longstanding land disputes. Tep Vanny, a housewife who has emerged as a leader for Cambodian victims of forced evictions, ...
Men Kimseng
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/housing-activist-in-washington-to-push-for-cambodian-policy-reforms/1760036.html
GMAC Urges Factories to Resist New Monitoring
Following the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) announcement that its Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) program will from January name and shame firms that contravene Cambodian labor laws, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) has urged factory operators to refuse entry to ILO monitors, unless they ...
Matt Blomberg
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/gmac-urges-factories-to-resist-new-monitoring-44006/
Home for the holidays
Still agitated 20 minutes after the rally in front of SL Garment Processing (Cambodia) Ltd had dispersed yesterday, Choem Som Im held up seven fingers as she jerked her arms forward and spoke in an equally sharp tone. The dilemma, faced by many garment workers, ...
Sean Teehan and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/home-holidays
Levi Strauss Pulls Out From Embattled SL Garment Factory
A Singaporean-owned garment factory whose workers have been on strike since early August is no longer producing clothes for American denim giant Levi Strauss, a brand representative and a factory worker said Monday. The workers of SL Garment Factory in Meanchey district—which still makes clothes for ...
Aun Pheap and Dene-Hern Chen
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/levi-strauss-pulls-out-from-embattled-sl-garment-factory-44015/
Union wary of possible crackdown
Preparing for a demonstration expected to draw thousands of garment workers this morning, Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), said yesterday that he feared the possibility of a heavy-handed military police response. About 4,000 workers gathered at SL ...
Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/union-wary-possible-crackdown
Investors Play Down Impact of Labor Strikes
Economists and analysts on Thursday shrugged off the opposition CNRP’s threat to stage nationwide labor strikes, arguing that while such a move could lower profits for companies in the short term, it would not significantly deter foreign investors. Mr. Rainsy, who mentioned the possibility of strikes ...
Ben Woods
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/investors-play-down-impact-of-labor-strikes-43694/
After CPP Reshuffle, Sok An’s Fiefdom Trimmed
Deputy Prime Minister Sok An has a stunning portfolio of positions within the CPP government. On Monday, CPP lawmakers once again appointed Mr. An as the Cabinet Minister for Prime Minister Hun Sen. He is also the chairman of the state-controlled Cambodian National Petroleum Authority and ...
Kuch Naren and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/after-cpp-reshuffle-sok-ans-fiefdom-trimmed-43665/
Jubilation as Pair Acquitted of Union Leader’s Assassination
Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, the men wrongfully sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2004 murder of Free Trade Union (FTU) leader Chea Vichea, were exonerated Wednesday by the Supreme Court of the crime. Responding to the acquittal, Chea Vichea’s brother, Chea Mony, ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/jubilation-as-pair-acquitted-of-union-leaders-assassination-43396/
Opposition Party Threatens Nationwide Labor Strikes
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Wednesday announced that his party could stage nationwide labor strikes in protest of disputed election results, and said the CNRP would begin an international campaign to make the CPP government a pariah state. “In the air is an idea of ...
Phorn Bopha and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/opposition-party-threatens-nationwide-labor-strikes-43403/
Cambodia’s high court drops case against men wrongly jailed for 2004 murder of labor activist
Cambodia’s Supreme Court ordered the release of two men Wednesday who were wrongly convicted and jailed for the 2004 murder of a prominent opposition activist. The court’s decision to drop all charges came amid renewed calls to free the men, whom leading international rights groups have ...
The Washington Post News Staff
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/cambodias-high-court-drops-case-against-men-wrongly-jailed-for-2004-murder-of-labor-activist/2013/09/25/2170fc90-25c2-11e3-9372-92606241ae9c_story.html
Factory management agrees on pay advance for holiday
Management at the Chhin Chin garment factory yesterday agreed to meet workers’ demands to receive their wages before the Pchum Ben holiday after a 150-worker demonstration briefly blocked National Road 4 in front of the factory. Workers at the factory, which is located in Phnom Penh’s ...
Mom Kunthear and Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/factory-management-agrees-pay-advance-holiday
Workers Say Large Military Police Presence at SL Factory
More than 100 military police officers stood guard outside a garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district on Monday and prevented workers from returning to work, employees and local officials said. Workers from Singaporean-owned SL Garment Factory—which makes clothing for U.S. brands Levi’s and Gap—have been ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/workers-say-large-military-police-presence-at-sl-factory-43060/
Cambodian Garment Factories Come Under Scrutiny
A monitoring group backed by the United Nations said it would begin to publicize garment factories’ compliance with worker rights and safety standards in Cambodia, a controversial program that its organizers say will be the world’s most extensive initiative to improve working conditions at plants. The ...
Kate O'keeffe
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303818704579089810120675896.html
‘SolarTuk’ coming in March
Solar-powered tuk-tuks could be rolling off the assembly lines in Phnom Penh as early as March next year, allowing local tuk-tuk drivers a cost-effective and greener alternative to using petrol, according to the company manufacturing the vehicle. Star 8, the Australia-based alternative energy firm behind the ...
Daniel de Carteret and Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/%E2%80%98solartuk%E2%80%99-coming-march
Riot at Garment Factory Leaves 11 Injured
Nine garment workers and two Chinese managers were injured on Friday in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district after a riot broke out among 300 workers protesting for higher wages and improved working conditions, officials said Sunday. Commune police chief Mao Sovann said workers at the SL Garment ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/riot-at-garment-factory-leaves-11-injured-42917/
Cambodian maids raring to go
At 5am, without any alarm clock going off, a dozen Cambodian maids wake up with near-military precision. Over the next hour, the women sweep, wash and scrub spotless their two-storey training centre in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. They all want to be maids in Singapore, eager ...
The Star Online Staff
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Regional/2013/09/23/Cambodian-maids-raring-to-go.aspx
Strike at SL eats into profits
Because of ongoing strikes and an inability to fill orders, SL Garment Processing (Cambodia) says it is shedding cash flow as buyers shift away from one of Asia’s largest producers, factory management confirmed yesterday. International brands H&M and Gap reduced their orders, while Levi’s ceased buying ...
Daniel de Carteret
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/strike-sl-eats-profits
Questions over strike violence
A Kampong Speu judge released the vice-president and a member of the Free Trade Union on bail yesterday after the court questioned the two about their alleged roles in a violent demonstration at Sabrina Garment factory. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/questions-over-strike-violence
Cambodian textile workers who supply UK clothing stores ‘starving’ and suffering 'mass faintings'
By the time London Fashion Week comes to a close, 58 high-end designers will have shown their collections. Rail-thin models will have walked the runways. Debate will have raged over size zero. In Cambodia, meanwhile, garment workers stitching clothes that supply the UK high street are ...
Shuttered schools, factories
With only about 10 per cent of its 1,000-person workforce at their stations by 8am yesterday, management at Hoyear (Cambodia) Garment Ltd cut its losses and announced that the factory would close for the next two days. Thousands across the capital opted out of work ...
Sean Teehan, Laignee Barron and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/shuttered-schools-factories
Government to Consider New Minimum Wage
The Ministry of Social Affairs on Friday established four sub-committees tasked with finding a new minimum wage for the country’s 300,000-plus garment factory workers, Minister Ith Sam Heng said on Friday. “The sub-committees have a limited time of five weeks for research before they have to ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-to-consider-new-minimum-wage-42317/