Commune officials to solve factory disputes

In response to a growing number of strikes in the country’s highly profitable garment sector, the government trained 15 handpicked commune officials yesterday to mediate and resolve factory disputes.

The training was designed to teach commune councillors to defuse and resolve conflict, Buth Ji, director of the World Bank’s Demand for Good Governance (DFGG) project, said, noting that candidates were strategically selected from provinces where industrial disputes are frequent.

“We want commune officials to use the same techniques used by the Arbitration Council to solve the problems created when strikes occur in their communities,” he said. …

Kong Athit, vice president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), said any government trainings touted as being key to conflict resolution in the garment sector should be conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. …

Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/commune-officials-solve-factory-disputes