Author: Leonie Barrie | 13 September 2012
Just-Style.com
A decade after the launch of the International Labor Organization's (ILO) Better Factories Cambodia scheme, a new report describes the initiative as a "positive development" - but says more should be done to make global buyers more accountable for the wages paid to garment workers.
Introduced back in 2001, there's no doubt the programme has played a significant role in improving working conditions in the country's production plants.
Its aim is to ensure facilities comply with international recognised labour standards and Cambodia's own labour laws, with knock-on benefits leading to better working conditions and productivity.
That said, research by labour rights groups the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Community Legal Education Center to mark the scheme's first decade concludes that despite its best efforts, Cambodia is not yet an "ethical sourcing option."
Their report '10 Years of the Better Factories Cambodia Project: A critical evaluation' found that despite its achievements, "working conditions in Cambodia's garment industry remain very poor generally."
Unions continue to face difficulties in their collective bargaining activities; workers are forced into excessive overtime; and they suffer severe health and safety problems, which are most dramatically exemplified by the mass fainting of workers.
