CNV calls for clothing accord Cambodia

The suppression of a trade union protest march in Cambodia on 12th November has left at least one person dead and six more injured. The police opened fire when protesting clothing workers began to head in the direction of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s home. Hundreds of clothing workers have been protesting for better wages for several months. Today’s protest had been organised by CNV partner union C.CAWDU, which has been in negotiations with H&M (among others) for higher salaries for some time. Wages for clothing workers are far beneath the living wage. CNV Chairman Jaap Smit: “The suppression of this protest shows yet again how the rights of clothing industry workers are being seriously violated as regards a living wage, safety in clothing factories and decent working hours.” Smit hopes that Minister Ploumen (Foreign Trade and Development Co-operation) will invest her time to extend the recently-signed Safety Accord for Bangladesh to other countries, including Cambodia. The Bangladesh Accord includes agreements with clothing companies to better respect labour laws as pertaining to their factories. Labour law infringements in the clothing sector were a central theme of the television programme Jij bent Sterk ("you are strong"), broadcast on 13th November.