Labor Ministry denies it has stopped recognizing unions
The Labor Ministry in a statement Thursday insisted that unions were still free to register as entities recognized by the government, a day after a ministry spokesman said that union registration had been effectively suspended for the foreseeable future. Free Trade Union (FTU) president Chea Mony claimed on Wednesday that the Labor Ministry was refusing his request to register 10 new branches in the country’s garment factories. … Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Sour also said on Wednesday that unions would only be allowed to set up new branches until the government drafts and then adopts, at some time in the future, a law governing unions. Amid criticism that the government had suspended the right of unions to form, which is protected under the constitutional right to freedom of association, the Labor Ministry issued a written denial. “The ministry is strengthening the mechanism of registration for all organizations effectively and on time with transparency following the law,” the letter states. “Therefore, please all organizations prepare legal registration following the law.” Mr. Sour, the ministry spokesman who initially confirmed the suspension of union registration on Wednesday, back-stepped Thursday, claiming instead that the ministry had not stopped registering unions. “The ministry issued the statement to respond to some organizations, including to Mr. Chea Mony, who accuse the ministry of not registering their organizations,” he said. “It is not right because the ministry has never refused to register any organization if it follows the law.” …
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/labor-ministry-denies-it-has-stopped-recognizing-unions-53319/
