WORKING CONDITIONS IMPROVED, BUT LABOR UNIONS STILL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 000503 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IL, EB/TPP/ABT-CLEMENTS LABOR FOR ILAB, CSR-MITTELHAUSER GENEVA FOR PSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ECON KTEX CB SUBJECT: WORKING CONDITIONS IMPROVED, BUT LABOR UNIONS STILL ENCOUNTER HARDSHIPS ¶1. Summary: Even as a recent report touted Cambodia's low labor costs, labor union leaders and employers report that working conditions and respect for the labor law and regulations have continued to improve in Cambodia's garment sector in recent years due largely to the USG-funded Better Factories Cambodia program. These factors may make Cambodia a favored source for U.S. garment buyers. However, lower productivity among Cambodia's inexperienced workers is a problem. Moreover, despite improvements in working conditions, incidents of violence and intimidation and illegal dismissals remain serious concerns among labor leaders. Labor union leaders complained about ineffective dispute resolution, inter-union rivalry, and difficulty in negotiating collective bargaining agreements with management. Unionists report there are spot labor shortages due to rising inflation and low wages. End Summary. Cambodia's Cost of Labor Second Lowest -------------- ¶2. According to a recent study of 40 apparel-producing countries, Cambodia's cost of labor ranked second-lowest, at $0.33 per hour. Only Bangladesh's labor costs were lower, at $0.22 per hour, according to the study by Jassin-O'Rourke Group, a U.S. research consulting firm. The study was made between December and March. Managing Director Mary O'Rourke was quoted by The Cambodia Daily newspaper as saying that Cambodia remains highly regarded among retail and traditional apparel brand owners and will likely continue to enjoy Asian-led investment to expand capacity, particularly as China's costs continue to rise. Working Conditions Improved and Respect for the Labor Law and Regulations Observed -------------- -------------- ¶3. Labor conditions are another bright spot for Cambodia. In meetings with Labor Assistant, labor union leaders reported that working conditions in the garment sector have improved since the International Labor Organization (ILO) began monitoring working conditions in 2001. In its October 2007 report, the ILO's Better Factories Cambodia program stated that working conditions continued to improve from May to October 2007 with progress seen in compliance with the labor law and international standards in all major categories of working conditions such as contracts, wages, working hours, leave, welfare and labor relations. Nonetheless, there still are some improvements to be made, such as addressing anti-union discrimination and unfair treatment of pregnant workers. Violence Still a Concern, Inter-union Competition Strong -------------- -------------- ¶4. Violence and intimidation against unionists is still a critical concern among labor leaders. Hy Vuthy, a local union leader of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTU),was killed on February 24, 2007 in the early morning after leaving work. The perpetrators have not been found. This killing follows the 2004 murders of FTU leaders Chea Vichea and Ros Sovannareth. Chea Mony, president of the formerly pro-opposition FTU said that a dozen of his local union leaders were intimidated or beaten up by gangsters in 2007. He suspected management and rival union federations of such acts, but he could not prove their involvement. Ath Thun, president of the politically independent Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU),accused management of hiring gangsters to intimidate him and his local union leaders, an allegation which was strongly denied by employers, who said the charge was groundless. Three other union federation presidents accused rival union federations of engaging in violent intimidation, with the Khmer Youth Federation of Trade Unions being the target of the most complaints. ¶5. Non-violent forms of inter-union rivalry are very common in Cambodia. However the nature of competition is changing. Today, pro-government union federations are competing for members directly with each other. In the past, pro-government union federations competed with independent union federations and an opposition-affiliated union federation. Labor federation leaders accused each other of attracting rival local union leaders with promises of mobile phones, walkie-talkies, money, and other equipment in an effort to lure them into their respective union federations. Alonzo Suson, country representative of the American Center of International Labor Solidarity (ACILS),said that inter-union competition is now very tough among union federations regardless of their political affiliation. Anti-union Discrimination Another Critical Issue -------------- -------------- ¶6. Both pro-government and pro-opposition labor unions agree that PHNOM PENH 00000503 002 OF 003 small unregulated factories pose particular problems for labor rights because the managers of small factories discriminate against those who participate in union activities through termination or non-renewal of labor contracts. (Note: There are about 100 small factories operating in Cambodia, each employing 100 to 200 workers. Most of these factories operate illegally without registration and licenses, and ILO monitors do not work with them since they are not legally registered. End note.) In some factories, management threatens to allow contracts of unionized workers to expire, a common anti-labor tactic, and paying union leaders to quit their jobs is still widespread in several small factories. However, labor union leaders acknowledge that in big factories, which account for the vast majority of Cambodia's garment industry, management complies with labor laws and regulations without discriminating against workers who participate in union activities. ¶7. In response to allegations of anti-union dismissals, Mr. Cheath Khemara, Senior Labor Officer of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC),said that he doubted that local union leaders were dismissed without good cause and said some local union leaders did not respect the internal regulations of their factories. He added that local union leaders act like gangsters and threaten other workers. He affirmed that before initiating any suspension or termination of any worker, the factory follows the legal procedures and requirements set forth in the Labor Law and regulations. However, Mr. Khemara acknowledged that small, illegal factories may not follow these practices. Ministry of Labor Conciliators Perceived as Corrupt -------------- -------------- ¶8. Labor union leaders complained that the labor dispute conciliators of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MOLVT) are not active in resolving the disputes between management and workers, and instead encourage management to terminate workers who make minor mistakes, are seen as troublemakers, or go on strike. The labor union leaders accused some conciliators of corrupt practices such as accepting bribes from management for a favorable opinion. On some occasions, the conciliators even instructed management on how to dismiss union leaders resulting in several dismissals of factory-level union leaders. Koy Tepdaravuth, director of MOLVT Labor Dispute Department, acknowledged some such cases, but said they were not widespread. Mr. Koy promised to take appropriate action, but such action would be a significant reversal from past practice. Woes for Collective Bargaining -------------- ¶9. Labor union leaders said lack of management interest, multiple unions per factory, and MOLVT indifference in organizing "most representative union" elections hampered efforts to negotiate collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Cheath Khemera agreed that lack of "most representative" certification hinders collective bargaining, with multiple unions wanting to bargain on behalf of the same group of workers. MOLVT reported that it registered 19 CBAs in ¶2007. However, most of these CBAs are only conciliation agreements between management and union representatives. Only five genuine CBAs exist in the garment sector. ACILS is now working with the ILO and MOLVT to address the issue by helping to organize a number of workshops on collective bargaining and "most representative" status for union leaders and factory management. Progress has been made on the issue: ACILS reported MOLVT has issued more than 20 certifications of "most representative" unions and four new CBAs between January and April 2008. A few other CBAs are under negotiation. Labor Shortages Due to Rising Inflation and Low Wages -------------- -------------- ¶10. Both employers and unionists reported there are spot shortages of workers in the provinces of Kandal, Kampong Speu and Phnom Penh. Employers admitted it is now quite hard to find a steady supply of workers due to rising employment opportunities at border areas. Workers who previously left these areas seeking opportunities in bigger towns have recently begun returning to their hometowns to find work at the newly established factories in special economic zones. Both legal and illegal migration of Cambodian workers to find work in neighboring Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea is also a cause for an unsteady supply of local workers. Union leaders indicated that the uneven labor supply was partly caused by the rising inflation since workers could hardly bear the burden of daily food expenses with their meager wages and save any money to send PHNOM PENH 00000503 003 OF 003 back home. Some said workers, especially female workers, quit the garment factory jobs to look for better paying jobs in karaoke parlors, restaurants or the entertainment sector. Productivity: Room For Improvement -------------- ¶11. In an interview with The Cambodia Daily, Mary O'Rourke, Managing Director of Jassin-O'Rourke Group pointed out that Cambodia should move away from children's clothing and toward adult and business apparel, broadening its style complexity, adding that Cambodia needs to find more sources for fabrics and increase labor productivity. Leaders in the garment industry echoed O'Rourke's advice for Cambodia to boost productivity. Van Sou Ieng, chairman of the Garment Manufacturers of Cambodia told The Cambodia Daily that while Chinese workers can produce 28 to 32 pairs of pants per day and Vietnamese workers 18 to 22 pairs, Cambodian garment workers produce 12 to 14 pairs per day. He added that productivity is low in Cambodia because of a labor force of inexperienced workers from the countryside. Tep Mona, director of the Garment Industry Productivity Center, agreed that Cambodia's garment sector is only operating at 35 to 40 percent efficiency; and workers are considerably less productive than Vietnam's workforce. She added that an increase in productivity is necessary to keep and attract investors. ¶12. Ms. Mona pointed out that productivity can be increased if workers are provided with high skills trainings and the factories are equipped with up-to-date machinery. But she warned that this needs to be consistent with increasing the output without increasing the cost. Mr. Khemara agreed to her points of view and noted that productivity allows Cambodia to compete with other low-cost garment producing countries. He added that some Korean factories have started to equip their factories with modern equipment. Mr. Khemara indicated that MOLVT should provide up-to-date skills trainings for new job seekers in order to meet job requirements. In the past, the majority of workers were hard working and industrious. However, with the current rising price of rice and goods, workers seem to be less hard working and less industrious with paltry wages. ¶13. Comment: Better working conditions in Cambodian garment factories remain a model for other developing countries. However, other serious problems in the labor sector prevent the country from being a perfect set-up: it is neither the high production center nor the worker's paradise that is sometimes portrayed by casual observers. Immature and inexperienced unions, lack of government leadership and law enforcement, and overwhelmed and impatient factory managers make for a labor sector characterized by frequent short-term strikes, some violence and intimidation, and few collective bargaining agreements. That said, the improvements in the labor sector are noticeable. End Comment. Mussomeli