Garment grievances to be aired
Calls for big-name apparel brands to take more responsibility for working conditions in Cambodian garment factories are growing louder as representatives of retail companies ranging from H&M to Wal-Mart arrive in Phnom Penh for a semi-annual buyers’ forum this week. …
Since it began three years ago, the forum has presented a unique opportunity for brands, government officials and workers’ rights advocates to gather together to discuss industry issues, said Jill Tucker, chief technical adviser for the International Labour Organization’s Better Factories Cambodia (BFC), which began organising the conference three years ago.
BFC will soon be making changes of its own, Tucker said. Currently, the industry monitor evaluates paying member factories and provides them with confidential reports. But, in the next month or so, BFC will begin making certain aspects of these reviews public, Tucker said. She has not yet announced what will become public and what will remain private.
Tomorrow, the first day of the forum, will focus on the industry in Cambodia, Tucker said. Thursday’s sessions will concentrate on Vietnam. …
In preparation for face time with representatives of about 25 international brands, the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) has formulated a list of demands that vice president Kong Athit says the brands have a responsibility to ensure are met. …
Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/garment-grievances-be-aired
