Labour Day in Cambodia: Trade unions authorized to demonstrate in the streets

Labour Day in Cambodia: Trade unions authorized to demonstrate in the streets

Cambodia Ka-set
By Duong Sokha and Stéphanie Gée

04-05-2009

Some 1,500 workers of the Cambodian capital, spearheaded by garment factory workers, answered the call of seven trade unions to take their demands to the streets on this 123rd International Labour Day, over which the global economic crisis cast a gloom as its effects have started to be felt in the Kingdom. Exceptionally, security forces stood back and were armed less than usual. Under a scorching sun, the colourful crowd of demonstrators was able to march without a hitch from the former seat of the National Assembly towards the new building where the parliamentarians meet, before heading for the junction of Boulevard Sihanouk and Street Pasteur where they paid tribute to the “workers' hero”, Chea Vichea, who was shot by unidentified men on January 22nd 2004.





Labour Day celebrated at last
For the last two years, the celebration of Labour Day in Cambodia went almost unnoticed as it was reduced to press releases and meetings held in union offices. The frequent suppression of public gatherings by the authorities and the deployment of important police operations in the capital on every May 1st deterred unions from calling for mass demonstrations.


In 2008, discouraged by an important police presence, opposition leader Sam Rainsy abandoned the idea of organising an impromptu big march as he had first announced. Together with a hundred supporters, he managed to reach the news stand where Chea Vichea was assassinated, before deciding to withdraw to its party headquarters.


In 2007, the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), formerly led by Chea Vichea, decided not to celebrate May 1st with a traditional march, for fear it would be repressed, its leaders explained. Only the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers' Democratic Union (CCAWDU) organised a modest gathering at the heart of the capital, which took place under strict police surveillance.


In 2006, workers defied a ban of the Phnom Penh Municipality and turned up in trucks at its gates, where they usually met with impassable police roadblocks. Chea Mony, who succeeded his brother Chea Vichea at the head of the FTUWKC, was detained for breaking the peace and interrogated for two hours in a police station. All the ploys were used to challenge police vigilance and the crowd of demonstrators increased. They were finally authorized to march.
The year 2009 was therefore an exception.


Demands include the creation of a labour court
Speaking on the microphone under the cheers of the demonstrators, the organising trade unions, including the powerful CCAWDU and the Cambodian Union Federation, which comprises of the FTUWKC and the CITA (Cambodian Independent Teachers Association), listed ten demands. A few new themes featured in the list of calls usually made by the workers' representatives.


For instance, the unions asked the government to set up as soon as possible a labour court to “defend the interests of the workers” because, as Chea Mony explained in his speech, “we do not trust the regular courts.” They also highlighted the necessity that labour disputes be judged “in a prompt and fair manner.” Another request to the authorities which they supported was to prevent any attempt to amend Articles 67 and 73 of the Labour Code related to labour contracts, which would, according to them, infringe on the rights of the workers. Finally, in light of the economic recession climate, they called the government to stimulate the employment market and improve working conditions in all sectors.


Among more “classic” demands: that the title of “workers' hero” be awarded posthumously to Chea Vichea and a statue of him be erected at the very location where he was killed, that the working week be decreased from 48 to 44 hours to be brought more in line with existing practices elsewhere, that entrepreneurs be obliged to pay a guarantee deposit that would be used as a compensation fund for workers in case of closure, that abusive dismissal of unionists be stopped, and that the government put an end to discrimination against unionists and respect freedom of association.


Context of economic crisis for the gathering
The countless banners held by young demonstrators conveyed the concerns of the main sectors, be it the garment industry, agriculture, construction or transport.


Once the destination was reached, the unions entrusted their grievances to the opposition lawmakers. Three key opposition figures spoke the one after the other on an improvised platform at the back of a van: Sam Rainsy, his party's parliamentarian Mu Sochua and Kem Sokha, the president of the Human Rights Party. The first made sure to remind the demonstrators that he had asked the government to take urgent steps against the economic recession and suggested passing a 500 million dollar package to stimulate the job market “whereas others encourage workers to go back to their homes to cultivate their lands,” he said in a barely veiled reference to a speech made by Prime Minister Hun Sen.