Representatives from major clothing brands and unions have decided to hold a meeting with the government officials of Cambodia to discuss rising concerns over workers’ rights in the country. The meeting follows a previous round of talks between brands and government officials that were held in February. Since then, at least 17 union leaders and representatives have been arrested for their roles in planning strikes.
Jyrki Raina, Secretary General of IndustriALL will attend the talks, where she will also be representing the International Trade Union Confederation and the Uni Global Union. Also included are brands like H&M, Gap, Levi’s and Puma.
The unions plan to ask the government about failure to investigate the deaths of workers, as well as the case of 23 union members/leaders and workers who were tried for their role in January’s garment sector strikes, for whom verdicts are due on May 30.
As per sources, last week, eight representatives from the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU) were arrested for instigating workers. Also two leaders of the Workers’ Friendship Union Federation were detained and then released after leading workers from the Cambo Handsome factory in Pur Senchey district on the second day of protests.
www.industriall-union.org
