Cambodia

Cambodia’s Council of Ministers has approved a new draft union law aimed at enhancing the rights and freedoms of trade unions in the country. The new policy, which the Labor Ministry says it has been working on for 8 years, will govern over 3,400 unions in Cambodia, including over 1,000 in the garment and footwear industries. Representatives from the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) say that the law does not account for the concerns of employers, only those of employees. The policy must still be approved by the National Assembly and reviewed by the Senate before being enacted. (Xinhua News)
 
Hundreds of workers of a garment factory in Phnom Penh plagued by unsafe working conditions are now unemployed after the factory permanently closed its doors. Production at the Kin Tai factory had been suspended in July following a slough of reports of workers fainting due to high temperatures inside the facility, despite numerous orders for the facility to install cooling sprinklers. Workers say they were notified of their termination on November 6 in a letter from the facility saying that their orders had been shifted to another facility. The letter also said all workers would be paid all owed wages and bonuses, though some workers allege they are owed more than the facility is prepared to pay. (Phnom Penh Post)
 
At least 39 garment workers were injured on November 12 after the truck they were riding in crashed into a ditch. Authorities say the collision occurred when the truck, carrying 52 workers home from their shifts, swerved to avoid colliding with a motorcycle. All injured workers were taken to the hospital. (Xinhua News)