Say No Union Law‬

Cambodia’s Draft Trade Union Law (TUL) will be put to a vote in the CPP dominated National Assembly on 04 April 2016. Cambodian trade unions remain deeply concerned with the content of the proposed text of the TUL. They have provided the government, bipartisan committee and the parliament with detailed comments, analysis and recommendations throughout the drafting process in order to bring the draft law into compliance with ILO Convention, particularly No.87. These recommendations have not been duly considered and the draft falls well short of the requirements of international law. Throughout the drafting process the government of Cambodia has continuously and publicly committed to the creation of a legal framework that is consistent with ILO Conventions, to ensure that any law on trade unions complies with ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which Cambodia has ratified. This has not happened.

Top concerns available here: http://www.ituc-csi.org/top-concerns-with-the-november

Members of Cambodia’s independent trade unions are standing up to protest this harmful law. Workers with banners, posters and stickers protested at 100 factories and union offices in various provinces as well as Phnom Penh, according to Ath Thorn, President of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU). Independent unions see the factory-level demonstrations as part of the lead-up to a bigger protest scheduled to take place outside the National Assembly on the day of the vote on Monday, April 4. “Today, we had support from unions across different sectors, including construction, tourism and garment workers…They are trying to convince the government to rethink the law and delay its adoption,” Thorn said.

All stakeholders, including Cambodia’s major garment buyers H&M, Gap, Adidas, Levis, C&A, Puma and others, must speak up!

Stand with Cambodian workers in their fight for freedom of association and living wage!