Abuses on in Cambodian garment units: Human Rights Watch

17 Mar '15

4 min read

Factory retaliation in a quarter of these factories included dismissals, wage deductions, and punitive transfers and in February 2015, the Labour Ministry called again for enforcement of factory overtime regulations.

Workers from 35 factories reported anti-union practices including dismissal and intimidation of newly elected union leaders, and shorter-term contracts for men to discourage them from forming or joining unions.

Many workers told Human Rights Watch that factory managers pressured them to meet production targets in ways that undermined their ability to take rest breaks, use the washroom, drink water, or eat lunch.

Women workers from 30 factories cited specific abuses, including refusing to hire, renew short-term contracts, or provide reasonable accommodation for pregnant workers, making it difficult for them to work in factories.

Human Rights Watch also documented unlawful child labour in 11 of the factories examined and the worst abuses were reported in smaller subcontractor factories, which produce for larger factories with export licenses.

According to the Labor Ministry, from 2009 through 2013, officials imposed fines on only 10 factories and initiated legal action against 7 factories, all in 2011, while the number of fines jumped to 25 in the first 11 months of 2014.

However, it continues to be abysmally low when compared to the number of factories overall and the persistent patterns of labour rights violations,” the agency observed. (AR)

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