Fearing Unrest, Garment Workers Abandon Jobs

Phnom Penh’s garment factories are operating at a greatly reduced capacity as workers return home to the provinces in droves in response to the government’s decision to increase security after the opposition warned they plan to hold mass demonstrations against the election results. Ken Loo, secretary-general of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, said the current exodus of workers from factories could “seriously impact” the industry. … Meas Vanny, a legal officer for the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers of Democratic Unions (CCAWDU), Cambodia’s only independent union, confirmed that garment workers were flocking to their home provinces because of the perception that demonstrations by the opposition will lead to social unrest. … With garments making up 80 percent of total exports, the sector is already confronted with a labor shortage even when all workers in the industry are present. In the first half of this year alone, garment and textile exports were worth $1.558 billion, an increase of 32 percent on the same period last year. …

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/fearing-unrest-garment-workers-abandon-jobs-39842/