"Independent union does not exist to protect rights and working conditions of workers in Sihanoukville Special Economic Zones", 19 November 2018

A report by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) said there are no independent union representatives present at the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) to protect the rights and conditions of workers.

A Ministry of Labour official called the findings on union representation a “small negative point”, while a union group coordinator said the zone “should be special for all”…

The SEZ is built on an 11.13sq km site and employs around 20,000 workers. More than 90 companies are in operation in the zone, with around 20 at the start of operations, while 10 had ceased activity, the CCIM report said…

The CCIM’s 14-page report … used interviews with more than 20 people from 10 factories in the SSEZ. Some workers interviewed said their salary was deducted by between $20 and $30 if they were absent from work without permission or a doctor’s certificate… The report also claimed there were no independent union representatives present in the SSEZ.

An Rama, a coordinator for the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU) for Preah Sihanouk province, said the report had found important problems that needed to be addressed.

“I think the problems found in the report are big and important. I think the special economic zone should be special for all. We have seen it is special for investors, but we see it is not special for the workers there,” he said.

But Pol Chan Dara, an official at the Labour Department, said what was reported were “small negative points”…