FTUWKC asks for time off for workers to register to vote

សហជីពសេរីកម្មករស្នើទៅរដ្ឋមន្រ្តីក្រសួងការងារអនុញ្ញាតិឲ្យកម្មករ-កម្មការឈប់សម្រាកទៅពិនិត្យនិងចុះឈ្មោះបោះឆ្នោត

ពត៌មានបន្ថែមសូមទំនាក់ទំនង
លោក ជា មុនី 012 941 308
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Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC)
Social Justice is the Foundation of Peace

Address: House No.16A, Street 360, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang 3,
Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh

Tel/Fax: +855 0 23 216 870
Mobile: +855 0 12 941 308
http://www.ftuw.net/ http://ftuwkc.webs.com/

Criticisms on Chea Mony by HNM

Is the accusation against Chea Mony by this Anonymous Reader justifiable? ... You be the judge

Chea Mony thanks contributors for Chea Vichea's statue

Free Trade Union breaks from ally

Free Trade Union president Chea Mony (left) speaks to reporters in Phnom Penh last year. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

Monday, 02 July 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Free Trade Union president Chea Mony has announced that his union will leave the Cambodian Confederation of Unions and sever all ties with its long-time ally, the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association.

In a letter to Minister of Labour Vong Sauth, dated June 27 and obtained by the Post yesterday, Mony said the split from CITA, with which it formed the CCU in 2006, was due to policy differences.

“Recently, the activities of CCU has been contrary to the aims and targets of [FTU], which demands our workers’ interests are taken care of and stability is maintained in the textile industry,” the letter states.

“Therefore, [FTU] would like to announce an end to its alliance with CITA and to say it is not under the roof of CCU anymore . . . [whose] actions from now on do not reflect [FTU].”

Are Western Consumers Willing to Pay More for Apparel?

Watch Are Western Consumers Willing to Pay More for Apparel? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

June 14, 2012
PBS Newshour (US Public Broadcasting System)

SUMMARY:

Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the working conditions in Cambodia's garment industry, which exports much its clothing to the United States.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Next, labor unrest in Cambodia's clothing factories. Workers are calling for fewer hours, better conditions and higher wages. That raises a question: Are Western consumers ready to pay more for apparel?

FRED DE SAM LAZARO: Back in the 1990s, Cambodia, impoverished and rebuilding after its genocidal Khmer Rouge years, took steps to give its new garment industry a competitive leg up. It agreed to a system of labor standards, with minimum wages and a limit on working hours, union representation and freedom of expression.

All would be open to international inspection. Today, there are perhaps 400,000 garment workers in more than 300 factories in and near the capital, Phnom Penh, subcontractors to retailers and brands across Europe and North America.

Beginning from scratch less than two decades ago, Cambodia's garment industry has grown into the largest export earner for this country. Three out of four dollars that come into Cambodia come from the garment factories.

The key question is how much all this has benefited workers, almost all of whom are female, or, if you listen to the unions, whether it has benefited them at all.

Many factories have been plagued by labor unrest. Occasionally, it has been violent. There have been frequent reports of workers fainting on the factory floors.

Union leader Chea Mony blames unhealthy conditions and workers weak from malnourishment.

City hall invites Chea Mony to talk about Chea Vichea's statue

Chea Mony sued over strike

Free Trade Union president Chea Mony speaks to disgruntled factory workers during a protest outside the Medtec factory in Kampong Cham province last month. Heng Chivoan

Monday, 05 March 2012
Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post

Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court has summonsed Free Trade Union president Chea Mony and two of his officers to answer incitement charges at the court tomorrow relating to his alleged involvement in a mass strike at a garment factory last year, officials said yesterday.

M&V garment factory bosses lodged a complaint with authorities accusing Chea Mony of incitement and property damage incurred when more than 3,000 of the factory’s workers went on strike last October demanding the company deliver on eight points for improved working conditions.

M&V factory 4 administration chief Yin Nak said the October strike was contrary to legal procedure.

“The union exploited workers and tried to trick me at the negotiation table when the company and union were negotiating at Kampong Chhnang’s Labour Department,” Yin Nak said, adding the company had suffered a great loss of revenue due to the October strike.

FTUWKC Chea Mony summoned on MV factory's complaint

http://www.box.com/s/k5v1ededeoyeqhxx8sr6

Chea Mony's support letter to Sar Kheng

http://www.box.com/s/sra4rd0i18dysdzdcdox

Chea Mony resigns from the Secretary position of CCU

Deputy walks out on union

Free Trade Union president Chea Mony speaks during the eighth anniversary of his brother Chea Vichea’s death last month. (Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post)

Monday, 13 February 2012
Meas Sokchea with additional reporting by Shane Worrell
The Phnom Penh Post

Yang Sophorn will form a new union after resigning yesterday as deputy president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, describing the president Chea Mony as a communist who had caused members to lose confidence in the union.

Yang Sophorn said she could no longer work with Chea Mony because he had not led in the same way as his late brother Chea Vichea, who was murdered in 2004.

Yang Sophorn said she would now lead the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions. “I walk out of the Free Trade Union because I have lost confidence in the leader,” she said.

“FTU used to have strong support, but that support has decreased a lot,” she said. “And it’s because of the leader.”

Yang Sophorn accused Chea Mony of never having held a central committee meeting and being governed only by his personal ideology.

SRP Message for the 8th anniversary of the murder of Chea Vichea

FTUWKC: Yong Wah factory workers return to work

Union to skip annual march

People march in Phnom Penh to mark the sixth anniversary of union leader Chea Vichea’s assassination, on January 22, 2010. (Sovan Philong)

Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post

On the anniversary of union leader Chea Vichea’s death each year, members of Cambodia’s Free Trade Union defy government orders and march to the site of his assassination in 2004 to lay wreaths in his honour.

The same orders have come this year, but for the first time, the union has listened and agreed not to march.

The reason, FTU president Chea Mony said, has nothing to do with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s decision last week to approve the building of a statue to the fallen union leader, but is because the January 22 anniversary coincides with senate elections campaigning.

Funding next step for Chea Vichea statue

Chea Mony, president of Cambodia’s Free Trade Union, speaks to the Post on Tuesday in Phnom Penh. Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Thursday, 05 January 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Phnom Penh Municipal governor Kep Chuktema will be responsible for at least some of the funds to build the statue of slain union leader Chea Vichea, according to Free Trade Union president Chea Mony.

On Tuesday, Chea Mony announced that Prime Minister Hun Sen had agreed to a six-year-old request for a statue to be built in honour of his older brother Chea Vichea, who was assassinated in 2004 near a news kiosk at Wat Langka in Phnom Penh.

“The meaning of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s approval is that he wants Kep Chuktema to assist with the payment for the construction of the Chea Vichea statue,” Chea Mony said.

Chea Mony's thank you letter to Hun Xen

នាយក​រដ្ឋ​មន្ត្រី​អនុញ្ញាត​ឲ្យ​សង់​រូប​ជា វិជ្ជា

លោក ជា មុនី ក្នុង​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​រំឭក​ខួប​កាល​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​មុន។ រូបថត សូ វិសាល

Wednesday, 04 January 2012 12:02
មាស សុខ​ជា​ និង Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

ភ្នំពេញៈ នៅ​ទី​បំផុត លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋ​មន្រ្តី​ ហ៊ុន សែន បាន​យល់​ព្រម​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​សាង​សង់​រូប​សំណាក ​រំឭក​វិញ្ញាណក្ខន្ធ លោក ជា វិជ្ជា មេ​ដឹក​នាំ​សហជីព​ល្បី​ឈ្មោះ​ដែល​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​បាញ់​សម្លាប់ បន្ទាប់​ពី​រយៈ​ពេល​ ៦ ​ឆ្នាំ​នៃ​ការ​ដាក់ញត្តិ​ជា​បន្ត​បន្ទាប់​ដោយ​ក្រុម​សហជីព និង​អ្នក​គាំទ្រ។

ប្អូន​ប្រុស​របស់​លោក​ ជា វិជ្ជា​ គឺ​លោក ជា មុនី ដែល​ឥឡូវ​នេះ​ បាន​កាន់​តំណែង​បង​ប្រុស​របស់​លោក​ជា​ប្រធាន​សហជីព​សេរីកម្មករ​នៃ ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រ​កម្ពុជា បាន​ថ្លែង​ថា សហជីព​របស់​លោក បាន​ដាក់​លិខិត​ជា​រៀងរាល់​ឆ្នាំ​នៅ​មុន​ថ្ងៃ​រំឭក​ខួប នៃ​ការ​បាញ់​សម្លាប់​លោក ជា​ វិជ្ជា ទៅ​ព្រះ​មហាក្សត្រ ដើម្បី​​ទូល​សុំ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​សាងសង់​រូប​សំណាក​លោក ជា វិជ្ជា ប៉ុន្តែ​មិន​បាន​ទទួល​ការ​ឆ្លើយ​តប​រាល់​លើក​។​ លោក​បន្ត​ថា​៖ «នេះ​ជា​លើក​ទី​មួយ​ហើយ ដែល​យើង​បាន​ដាក់​ញត្តិ​ទៅ​លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋ​មន្រ្តី ហ៊ុន សែន ​ហើយ​យើង​បាន​ទទួល​ការ​អនុញ្ញាត​»។ លោក​បន្ថែម​ថា​ ៖​«យើង​ទាំង​អស់​គ្នា មាន​ការ​ភ្ញាក់​ផ្អើល​ណាស់​»។

Chea Vichea statue approved

People hold a portrait of Chea Vichea, former president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and flowers as they march in 2009 to mark the fifth anniversary of his death in Phnom Penh. Chea Vichea was shot dead at a news stand near Wat Lanka in January 2004. (Reuters)

Wednesday, 04 January 2012
Meas Sokchea and Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

“We want to show the public who he was and what he did – he made the first trade union in the history of Cambodia, and he sacrificed his life to protect and support the poor” - Chea Mony

Prime Minister Hun Sen has agreed to the construction of a memorial for slain union leader Chea Vichea after six years of petitioning by unionists and supporters.

Chea Vichea’s brother, Chea Mony, who has now assumed his elder sibling’s mantel as president of Cambodia’s Free Trade Union, said the FTU sent an annual letter on the anniversary of Chea Vichea’s assassination to the King requesting a statue be built, but their plea had been ignored every time

“This is the first time we have petitioned Prime Minister Hun Sen – on the same day we sent the request, we received the permission,” Chea Mony said.

“We are all very surprised.”

Statue to Remember Slain Unionist Will Go Forward

A scene from the documentary "Who Killed Chea Vichea?" Chea Vichea, a popular Cambodian union leader, was assassinated on January 22, 2004, in Phnom Penh. (Photo: Courtesy of the Producers of "Who Killed Chea Vichea?")

Tuesday, 03 January 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“The most important thing is we don’t want to see real murderers and the people behind it still out of the legal process.”

Cambodian laborers will eventually see a statue erected of slain union activist Chea Vichea, who was killed in a brazen daylight attack in 2004.

Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote to Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema Dec. 31, ordering him to allow the statue near Independent Monument in the capital, not far from the scene of the Jan. 22, 2004, killing.

Chea Vichea was a powerful labor leader able to amass large rallies. His killers have never been brought to justice.

Chea Mony, the brother of the slain leader and current head of the Free Trade Union, said workers have been requesting a statue for years, but that he had not put in a recent request. He wrote Hun Sen over the weekend to thank him.