A Change of Guard

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Sunday, 6 January 2013

CCHR Media Comment – CCHR Highlights Concerns with Working Conditions of Cambodian Garment Workers

CCHR MEDIA COMMENT – Phnom Penh, 6 January 2013

CCHR highlights concerns with working conditions of Cambodian garment workers

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”) remains concerned with the working conditions in Cambodian garment factories, which are clearly not yet safe and healthy for workers, and which are in breach of workers’ basic labor rights. CCHR’s concerns have been fanned by recent figures issued for the number of garment workers fainting in 2012 as reported by The Cambodia Daily on 3 January 2013 (‘Garment Worker Faintings Decreased in 2012’).

The Ministry of Labor’s Inspection and Legal Affairs Department has stated that 1,686 garment workers from 24 factories fainted in 2012, in contrast to the 1,973 reported fainting incidents across only 12 factories in 2011. However, this statistic is contradicted by that offered by the Free Trade Union, which claims that 2,107 garment workers from 29 factories fainted in 2012. Nevertheless, even if the Ministry’s figures are taken as accurate, while the actual number of fainting incidents has decreased, the number of affected factories has increased, indicating that the problem has actually become more widespread. In any event, the number is still too high, and it should be the target of factories, brands, consumers, unions and government to recognize the problem and take steps to ensure that such incidents are drastically reduced in 2013.  CCHR seeks to focus attention on nutrition and food safety and ventilation systems in the workplace, as well as the need to cease compulsory overtime work, as factors that need to be examined with a view to protecting the right of everyone to the enjoyment of just and favorable working conditions.

In response, CCHR Business and Human Rights Project Coordinator, Leang Sok, comments:


The responsibility of businesses to provide favorable working conditions is paramount. Increased national and international attention on the Cambodian garment industry means that this problem must be tackled urgently. International brands buying from Cambodian factories should be aware of this issue and put pressure on their manufacturers to improve working conditions.  Such action will benefit their reputation among consumers while helping Cambodia develop in the right direction.

For more information, please contact Leang Sok via telephone at +855 (0) 12 588 081 or email at sokleang@cchrcambodia.org or Senior Consultant Robert Finch via telephone at +855 (0) 7880 9960 or e-mail at robert.finch@cchrcambodia.org.

Please see this Media Comment attached in PDF format in both Khmer and English.

Kind regards,
CCHR

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