"ILO pushes decent work agenda", 22 October 2019

The International Labour Organisation is urging all stakeholders in the Kingdom to ensure that citizens have access to decent employment by 2023.

The goal was stated during a workshop on the Cambodia Decent Work Country Programme 2019-2023 in Phnom Penh ..., where 150 people from unions, rights groups and the government discussed issues related to quality employment.

Tun Sophorn, country coordinator for the International Labour Organisation, yesterday said Cambodia has made great progress in reducing unemployment, but the amount of employers offering decent work is still limited.

“Decent work refers to having a well-paying job that can support yourselves and your families. It is the main thing that we have to focus on in terms of [improving] job quality,” Mr Sophorn said. “We want to see more progress, including more social security protection, better minimum wages for workers in all sectors and inclusion when laws concerning decent work are being drafted.”

... According to a Labour Ministry report, jobs were created for 4.8 million citizens last year, including for 1.2 million who are overseas.

The DWCP for Cambodia focuses on three areas: Promoting employment and sustainable enterprise development; strengthening and expanding social protection, including occupational safety and health; improving industrial relations and rights at work.

Ath Thorn, chairman of the National Trade Union Council and president of the Cambodian Labour Confederation, ... said that according to the ILO, if workers had decent work, they would have enough income to support their family, time for breaks, less pressure from their employers and more protections...