Wednesday, August 10, 2005
[IWS] ILO: CAMBODIA'S GARMENT SECTOR WORKING CONDITIONS 12th Synthesis Report [8 August 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)
BETTER FACTORIES CAMBODIA
KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
TWELFTH SYNTHESIS REPORT ON THE WORKING CONDITIONS IN CAMBODIA'S GARMENT SECTOR
8 AUGUST 2005
http://www.betterfactories.org/content/documents/1/12th%20Synthesis%20Report%20(En).pdf
[full-text, 42 pages]
[excerpt]
1.3 This synthesis report
This twelfth synthesis report is the first of its kind to assess the progress made by factories in
improving working conditions determined during a third follow-up visit. Thus, this synthesis
report examines the progress made by 26 factories between their second and third followup
visits in implementing suggestions made by the project. There were originally 30
factories in this group, however, 4 have closed. This twelfth synthesis report covers the
same factories included in the first synthesis report (initial monitoring visits) of November
2001, the third synthesis report of June 2002 (first follow-up visits), and the sixth synthesis
report of June 2003 (second follow-up visits). At the time of the third follow-up visits, these
factories employed 21,729 workers, of whom 19,981 were women and 1748 were men.
While the report indicates the levels of compliance across a wide range of issues, the key
findings for the 26 factories covered by this report are listed below. The factories covered
in this report have a higher level of compliance with labour standards than those factories
covered in the Eleventh Synthesis Report, which contained findings made during initial
monitoring visits. This difference is likely due to the fact that factories tend to improve
working conditions with successive monitoring visits.
Key Findings in the Twelfth Synthesis Report
.. There is no evidence of forced labour.
.. Two factories that had been altering the contractual status of workers
when they returned from maternity leave have discontinued this
practice. However, in another factory, management required workers
to take an additional 3 months of maternity leave over that provided by
law. The additional 3 months leave was unpaid.
.. No underage workers were found in any of the factories.
.. About one third of the factories monitored do not comply with
minimum wage requirements for casual workers.
.. More than two thirds of the factories monitored ensure that overtime
work is voluntary. However, in most of the factories monitored,
overtime work is not exceptional or limited to two hours per day.
.. Regarding freedom of association, one factory terminated several union
leaders and union members after a strike, accusing them of inciting
other workers to go on strike and of committing various serious
offences. The Arbitration Council ordered the factory to re-hire these
workers, but the factory objected to this award, and has appealed it in
court.
.. None of the six strikes that took place during the 12 months preceding
the monitoring visits were organized in conformity with legal
requirements, but all of the strikes were peaceful.
.. Progress in meeting health and safety standards was mixed. Most of the
factories provide personal protective equipment to workers; however,
workers in about 80% of the factories fail to use it. More than half of
the factories also have failed to install safety guards on machines.
For earlier reports, see --
http://www.betterfactories.org/ILO/resources.aspx?z=7&c=1
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)
BETTER FACTORIES CAMBODIA
KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
TWELFTH SYNTHESIS REPORT ON THE WORKING CONDITIONS IN CAMBODIA'S GARMENT SECTOR
8 AUGUST 2005
http://www.betterfactories.org/content/documents/1/12th%20Synthesis%20Report%20(En).pdf
[full-text, 42 pages]
[excerpt]
1.3 This synthesis report
This twelfth synthesis report is the first of its kind to assess the progress made by factories in
improving working conditions determined during a third follow-up visit. Thus, this synthesis
report examines the progress made by 26 factories between their second and third followup
visits in implementing suggestions made by the project. There were originally 30
factories in this group, however, 4 have closed. This twelfth synthesis report covers the
same factories included in the first synthesis report (initial monitoring visits) of November
2001, the third synthesis report of June 2002 (first follow-up visits), and the sixth synthesis
report of June 2003 (second follow-up visits). At the time of the third follow-up visits, these
factories employed 21,729 workers, of whom 19,981 were women and 1748 were men.
While the report indicates the levels of compliance across a wide range of issues, the key
findings for the 26 factories covered by this report are listed below. The factories covered
in this report have a higher level of compliance with labour standards than those factories
covered in the Eleventh Synthesis Report, which contained findings made during initial
monitoring visits. This difference is likely due to the fact that factories tend to improve
working conditions with successive monitoring visits.
Key Findings in the Twelfth Synthesis Report
.. There is no evidence of forced labour.
.. Two factories that had been altering the contractual status of workers
when they returned from maternity leave have discontinued this
practice. However, in another factory, management required workers
to take an additional 3 months of maternity leave over that provided by
law. The additional 3 months leave was unpaid.
.. No underage workers were found in any of the factories.
.. About one third of the factories monitored do not comply with
minimum wage requirements for casual workers.
.. More than two thirds of the factories monitored ensure that overtime
work is voluntary. However, in most of the factories monitored,
overtime work is not exceptional or limited to two hours per day.
.. Regarding freedom of association, one factory terminated several union
leaders and union members after a strike, accusing them of inciting
other workers to go on strike and of committing various serious
offences. The Arbitration Council ordered the factory to re-hire these
workers, but the factory objected to this award, and has appealed it in
court.
.. None of the six strikes that took place during the 12 months preceding
the monitoring visits were organized in conformity with legal
requirements, but all of the strikes were peaceful.
.. Progress in meeting health and safety standards was mixed. Most of the
factories provide personal protective equipment to workers; however,
workers in about 80% of the factories fail to use it. More than half of
the factories also have failed to install safety guards on machines.
For earlier reports, see --
http://www.betterfactories.org/ILO/resources.aspx?z=7&c=1
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 12:05 PM
