Predictions mixed for post-new year garment strike

ថ្ងៃទី ១៧ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១៤
ខេមបូឌា ដេលី
សង្គមស៊ីវិល / គោលនយោបាយ និងការគ្រប់គ្រងសេដ្ឋកិច្ច / សេដ្ឋកិច្ច និងពាណិជ្ជកម្ម / សម្លៀកបំពាក់និងវាយនភណ្ឌ / រដ្ឋាភិបាល / សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស / វិស័យឧស្សាហកម្ម / ការវិនិយោគ / ពលកម្ម / មជ្ឈត្តការផ្នែកការងារ / គោលនយោបាយ និងការគ្រប់គ្រងពលកម្ម / ច្បាប់ និងប្រព័ន្ធតុលាការ / ច្បាប់ និងបទបញ្ជា / ក្រសួង និងស្ថាប័នរដ្ឋ / ការអភិវឌ្ឍសង្គម / ពាណិជ្ជកម្ម / គោលនយោបាយ និងបទប្បញ្ញត្តិស្តីពីពាណិជ្ជកម្ម / សហជីព
សមាគមរោងចក្រកាត់ដេរនៅកម្ពុជា / សមាគមរោងចក្រកាត់ដេរនិងស្បែកជើងនៅកម្ពុជា / GMAC’s executive committee / Independent Democratic Youth Trade Union / ច្បាប់ការងារ / ក្រសួងការងារ / សម្ព័ន្ធសហជីពជាតិ / ផ្លូវ វេងស្រេង

Along Phnom Penh’s industry-heavy Veng Sreng Street on Wednesday, garment factories lay idle in observance of Khmer New Year. The dorms around them were empty, save for the few workers who could not afford the bus ticket home for the holiday, which ended Wednesday. Eight unions planning a nationwide stay-at-home strike, scheduled to start today, are hoping it stays that way. They have been spreading the word for the past several weeks about the strike, which has been called to demand a higher minimum wage in the garment sector as well as the release of 21 protesters imprisoned during the last round of strikes in January. On Wednesday, union leaders were hopeful that as many as half the country’s roughly 600,000 garment workers will be taking up the call and staying home in protest. “We expect more than 50 percent of the workers not to come to work until April 22 to demand that the government and Ministry of Labor release the 21 prisoners and give them a $160 [monthly minimum] wage,” said Far Saly, president of the National Trade Union Coalition. “We have informed our workers, handed out 100,000 leaflets and spread the information through social media and word-of-mouth.” “We will wait and see how many factories will be open or closed,” he said. … Garments make up the bulk of the country’s exports and generated more than $5 billion in revenue last year. The last round of strikes in late December and early January forced dozens of factories to shut down temporarily and cost the industry $42.2 million in lost production, according to the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC). … GMAC has been arguing that the unions’ plans do not actually amount to a strike because the Labor Law says a strike can happen only when workers withhold their labor while at the factory. The association says anyone who stays away after the New Year without permission will simply be taking an unexcused leave of absence and could face pay cuts, lost monthly bonuses or even termination. …

 Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/predictions-mixed-for-post-new-year-garment-strike-56624/