"Union Reps Reinstated with Better Terms After Garbage Collection Company Workers’ Protest, Ministry Intervention", 20 January 2025

Around 200 workers of 800 Super-GAEA (Cambodia) Co Ltd protested after the garbage collection company terminated their union leaders following the formation of a union at their workplace. The workers demanded the reinstatement of their four union leaders and compliance with legal rights and benefits under the labor law.

In response to their protest and a formal complaint filed with the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, the company eventually agreed to recognize the union representatives and provide benefits in accordance with the law.

…, a local media showed a livestream on Facebook of a protest by garbage collectors and drivers working for 800 Super-GAEA in Prek Pnov commune, Prek Pnov district, Phnom Penh... The night shift workers refused to return to work until the company reinstated their union representatives.

“Both drivers and garbage collectors want to form a union, but the company stopped our representatives from working,” one of the workers said. “They dismissed four union representatives because they don’t want us to create a union.”

The workers also demanded that the company provide timely seniority indemnity payments.

Garbage truck team leader Rong Saray said the company fired him and three other union representatives after they notified the company about forming a union at work.

… Following the protest by the employees, which called for the reinstatement of the four union representatives, the ministry, Cambodian Tourism Workers’ Union Federation (CTWUF), and company representatives met, leading to the company agreeing to four conditions.

Touch Kosal, president of CTWUF, alleged that 800 Super-GAEA discriminated against the formation of unions in the workplace…