"Ministry urges better housing and transport for garment workers", 2 May 2019

The Labour Ministry is planning to streamline how garment factory workers commute to work in order to reduce traffic accidents.

The ministry plans on making public transportation services more accessible to garment factory workers and urging enterprises to provide housing nearby factories... Labour Minister Ith Samheng said the ministry has prioritised the issue of traffic accidents involving garment factory workers.

Mr Samheng said workers should be able to take advantage of public transportation services to get to work...

“When workers have a place to stay nearby their factory, they will no longer need to travel long distances to get from home to work,” Mr Samheng said. “In doing so, they will avoid traffic accidents.”...

According to an NSSF report published ..., last year garment factory workers were involved in 1,710 accidents which resulted in 42 deaths and 1,863 injuries... In 2017, there were 1,691 traffic accidents that resulted in 33 deaths and 2,193 injuries.

NSSF president Ouk Samvichea said economic growth in the garment and footwear industry has led to new challenges for the government. Mr Samvichea said the government is considering the health of workers...

Soung Vanna, a garment factory worker from Kandal province, said she travels to work by hitching a ride with her company’s truck...