Unions urge Govt to reinstate suspended workers

Source: Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

January 11, 2011 (Cambodia)

In September 2010, strike was called by thousands of apparel employees, who were asking for better wages. The government organized a meeting with members from apparel factories and workers’ unions to come out with a workable solution to the problem addressed by the apparel workers during the strike that took place between 13th and 16th September, 2010. Around 400 workers were dismissed or suspended as a result of the strikes that hit the apparel sector. These workers are still jobless. According to the union representatives, the Cambodian Government has not paid any heed to their appeals and has remained silent over the matter. The Cambodian National Labour Federation and the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union had jointly put forward a letter on December 31, 2010 to the Labour Ministry appealing the officials to intervene in the matter and request the owners of 18 apparel factories to withdraw the complaints against 379 apparel workers and take them back to work. Both the unions also urged that the Ministry should go ahead with the discussions over the workers’ issues through the Labour Advisory Committee.