Positive ILO Report Unsettles Garment Union
By Erik Wasson and Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The latest, redesigned factory monitoring report by the International Labor Organization has found that 80 percent of 212 garment factories monitored in Cambodia over the last six months comply with the Labor Law.
The findings in the 17th ILO report have upset the Free Trade Union, which has accused the ILO of presenting data that makes garment factories look better than they are.
For years, the ILO's Better Factories program has issued quarterly reports on factories it has visited and reported on whether they have implemented suggestions on everything from putting soap in the restroom to making sure overtime is voluntary.
Now, the ILO has begun issuing reports every six months that it hopes give a better picture of the 300-factory industry as a whole.
The report, dated Oct 31 but released to the public last week, gives high marks for basic contractual and wage issues, indicating for example that 98 percent of factories abided by the $45a-month minimum wage and 67 percent gave 18 days of annual leave. Only 41 percent paid sick leave, however, and only 24 percent limited overtime to two hours per day.
"[The report] also shows 9 percent of factories monitored interfered with freedom of association and 6 percent engaged in anti-union discrimination,'' Better Factories chief technical adviser Tuomo Poutiainen noted.
FTU President Chea Mony said the ILO data painted a rosy picture of Cambodia's garment industry.
"The report pleases the factories, because the ILO wants to continue to receive other funds," he said. "The factories don't implement the Labor Law."
In addition to funding by the US, France and international garment buyers, Better Factories receives some funding from the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia.
Chea Mony said the report should have devoted more space to showing the gross labor rights violations in some factories. Cambodia has seen several unionists beaten this year and one worker shot when police violently broke up a protest.
The findings in the 17th ILO report have upset the Free Trade Union, which has accused the ILO of presenting data that makes garment factories look better than they are.
For years, the ILO's Better Factories program has issued quarterly reports on factories it has visited and reported on whether they have implemented suggestions on everything from putting soap in the restroom to making sure overtime is voluntary.
Now, the ILO has begun issuing reports every six months that it hopes give a better picture of the 300-factory industry as a whole.
The report, dated Oct 31 but released to the public last week, gives high marks for basic contractual and wage issues, indicating for example that 98 percent of factories abided by the $45a-month minimum wage and 67 percent gave 18 days of annual leave. Only 41 percent paid sick leave, however, and only 24 percent limited overtime to two hours per day.
"[The report] also shows 9 percent of factories monitored interfered with freedom of association and 6 percent engaged in anti-union discrimination,'' Better Factories chief technical adviser Tuomo Poutiainen noted.
FTU President Chea Mony said the ILO data painted a rosy picture of Cambodia's garment industry.
"The report pleases the factories, because the ILO wants to continue to receive other funds," he said. "The factories don't implement the Labor Law."
In addition to funding by the US, France and international garment buyers, Better Factories receives some funding from the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia.
Chea Mony said the report should have devoted more space to showing the gross labor rights violations in some factories. Cambodia has seen several unionists beaten this year and one worker shot when police violently broke up a protest.
1 comment:
That sucks. Why can't they thoroughly check their report before they publish it? Was the ILO bought by the CPP also? There were many abuses in many factories and some of the workers were even shot just because they protested to have a better treatment from the owners. Unacceptable report due to unfairness.
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