Negotiations Planned to Improve Relations in Garment Sector

Negotiations between the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) and unions over a landmark agreement aimed at reducing strike action will be held on October 3, representatives said yesterday.

The original agreement on improving industrial relations in the garment sector was signed in October 2010 by GMAC and six union confederations and expired in September 2011.

Aimed at preventing wildcat work stoppages, the agreement puts safeguards in place to ensure that workers obey legal procedures before resorting to strikes. The agreement also binds factory owners to adhere to rulings made by the Arbitration Council, something that union leaders often accuse manufacturers of flouting if the ruling if not in the factory’s favor. …