Deepening Crisis for Cambodia’s Trade Unions

Recent years have seen authorities increasingly clamp down on unions and their leaders who are defending workers’ rights, with jail sentences and other legal punishments handed out. This has left many union members vulnerable, while heavily restricting their role. While Cambodian law allows the formation of unions, workers are often left without freedom to choose their unions or fully exercise their rights.

In Cambodia, there were approximately 5,000 registered trade unions at the end of 2019, which include various types of unions. The majority are for factory workers, particularly in the garment sector, where about 60 percent of workers are believed to be members of unions.

A total of 4,700 were local unions, followed by 189 union federations, 29 confederation unions, and nine employers' associations.

The rights to freedom of association are protected under Cambodian law. Article 36 of the Constitution of Cambodia states, “Khmer citizens of both sexes shall have the right to create unions and participate as their members.” The 2016 Trade Union Law gives workers and employers the right to form unions and associations.

Cambodians have lost significant personal freedoms since the nation’s 2017 commune elections, where the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) came close to eclipsing the majority Cambodian People’s Party, which has been in power since 1979. Since that time, the government led by the world’s longest serving prime minister, Hun Sen, has repressed all forms of opposition, banning the CNRP and subsequently jailing former party activists, disbanding independent media in late 2017, and unravelling freedom of assembly.

Cambodian union was awarded the Arthur Svensson Prize in 2012

In recent years, strikes, mostly in the manufacturing sector, have often been accompanied by violence as police try to disperse crowds.

The 2012 "Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights" was awarded to Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union. They received the prize for their persistent grass root struggle and mass mobilization for better pay and working conditions in the Cambodian clothing industry.

The prize committee stated that "union work is dangerous in Cambodia. The Cambodian law grants organizing and collective bargaining rights. However, there are numerous cases of harassment and violent attacks on union members; violations carried out by both employers and the state authorities. Several trade union leaders have been killed, and several times more sacked for union activity and joining strikes for decent working conditions."

Union leader arrested

Holding a legal strike is always difficult, and the barriers in the Trade Union Law have actually made it more difficult. The question is whether a union would have an illegal strike, and usually when that happens, it’s one or two days and then they go back to work.

Labour union leader, Chhim Sithar, was recently released from prison after serving a two-year sentence for striking over 1300 NagaWorld workers who were terminated during the Covid-19 outbreak.

September 16 was the deadline for the two-year sentence on charges. She was arrested again in November 2022 on charges of inciting serious social unrest and allegedly violating her bail by travelling abroad to a trade union conference.

Government's attitude

Under the stringent rules, the government's attitude towards labour unions is evolving, facing unclear “overlapping standards”. Concerns have been raised that Cambodian labour unions face mounting government pressure and threats. To ensure their survival and effectiveness, strategies are being implemented to avoid political tendencies. Union leaders emphasise the need for a more open democracy where workers can freely express their rights.

Cambodian textile workers

Source: Kiripost, Equal Times