By Yun Samean and Erik Wasson
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The heated issue of the collection and distribution of service charges on hotel bills in Cambodia, which sparked strikes in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in 2004, is heading toward boiling point again.
On Wednesday, the Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation issued a letter demanding that the Labor Ministry order hotels to disburse the 10 percent service charges to their workers.
The Labor Ministry responded stating that it will not send any order to hotels, but will instead work to include precise instructions regarding service charges in the revised Labor Law.
CTSWF President Ly Korm said he has coordinated the latest service charge payment request with 10 tourism unions and warned there will be strikes if no action is taken.
Despite denials, most luxury hotels in Cambodia are collecting a 10 percent service charge from their customers but few if any actually distribute the full amount to employees —which is required under the Labor Law, Ly Korm said.
Ly Korm said workers really only want between 70 percent and 80 percent of the 10 percent charges on customers' bills.
Philip Setkao, president of the Cambodian Hotels Association, said that his organization had not yet received a request from unions regarding the service charge issue.
"Unions have agreed at individual hotels to split the distribution of the charge but we have not received a petition from them to discuss it across the industry," he said.
The highly damaging 2004 hotel strikes ended with collective bargaining agreements reached at some hotels, which agreed to split service charges 50 percent to workers and 50 percent to management, said Alonzo Suson of the American Center for Labor Solidarity.
Labor Ministry Undersecretary of State Oum Mean urged unions to focus on collective bargaining agreements while the labor law awaits revision.
On Wednesday, the Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation issued a letter demanding that the Labor Ministry order hotels to disburse the 10 percent service charges to their workers.
The Labor Ministry responded stating that it will not send any order to hotels, but will instead work to include precise instructions regarding service charges in the revised Labor Law.
CTSWF President Ly Korm said he has coordinated the latest service charge payment request with 10 tourism unions and warned there will be strikes if no action is taken.
Despite denials, most luxury hotels in Cambodia are collecting a 10 percent service charge from their customers but few if any actually distribute the full amount to employees —which is required under the Labor Law, Ly Korm said.
Ly Korm said workers really only want between 70 percent and 80 percent of the 10 percent charges on customers' bills.
Philip Setkao, president of the Cambodian Hotels Association, said that his organization had not yet received a request from unions regarding the service charge issue.
"Unions have agreed at individual hotels to split the distribution of the charge but we have not received a petition from them to discuss it across the industry," he said.
The highly damaging 2004 hotel strikes ended with collective bargaining agreements reached at some hotels, which agreed to split service charges 50 percent to workers and 50 percent to management, said Alonzo Suson of the American Center for Labor Solidarity.
Labor Ministry Undersecretary of State Oum Mean urged unions to focus on collective bargaining agreements while the labor law awaits revision.
1 comment:
They are still stealing the poor.
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