Cambodian labour conditions still poor

Working conditions in Cambodian garment factories are improving – but they’re still below acceptable standards according to a new NGO report.

A new report – 10 Years of the Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) Project: A critical evaluation – has been released by Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and Community Legal Education Center (CLEC). Started in 2001, the goal of the BFC program is to improve the working conditions in Cambodian factories and bring an end to sweat-shop production.

The report discusses the BFC’s achievements and limitations from a worker rights’ perspective. CCC and CLCE conclude that Cambodian labour rights organisations consider the BFC as a positive development, though working conditions in Cambodia’s garment industry remain very poor generally.

According Jeroen Merk, research coordinator at CCC, the real wages workers receive have actually declined 14 per cent since 2000 when tied to inflation. It says garment workers have become poorer since the BFC program was launched.

“The International Labour Organisation (ILO) should do more to keep global buyers like H&M or Gap accountable for poverty wages,” said Merk.

Tola Moeun, head of labour program of the CLCE, reported that in the last two weeks of August they have seen three instances of mass fainting at a factory supplying H&M. Poor health and work shifts of up to 13 hours are said to have caused the fainting.

“This BFC-monitored factory illustrates the importance to follow up on our recommendations,” said Moeun.

The report makes recommendations around six areas where the BFC program could be improved: promoting sanctions for factories violating labour laws, increasing union involvement, expanding its scope to subcontracted factories, improving the monitoring process, improving transparency and taking the responsibilities of buyers seriously.

CCC and CLEC believe that addressing these issues will help achieving the BFC’s goal, which is to improve working conditions in the Cambodian garment industry.

GB

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