“A pension is saving for the future.”
28 June 2022 was a special day in Cambodia. Independent unions, including our partner CLC, had been lobbying for many years, and on this day, the Cambodian government finally implemented a new pension plan.
This pension plan is for some 2.3 million workers—half of them women. These workers must now be registered with the national social security funds. Nothing like this has existed in Cambodia in the past. Workers did not receive a pension, although they sometimes received benefits for suffering accidents at work. Now, workers will be able to get disability benefits, a pension, and insurance payouts in case of death.
Informing the workers
The pension agreement took effect in October 2022. CLC has promoted this plan, making sure workers were aware of their rights. The 40 year old Ouk Simorn is an active union member who’s worked as a teaching assistant at a school for the past five years. “I noticed that a lot of things at work were unclear. Many colleagues didn’t understand how pension plans work. It’s very important for us as their union to explain this new plan to them."
Ouk Simorn, teaching assistant and active CLC union member, is happy with the new pension plan and explains it to colleagues.
Peace of mind
“I feel more secure now that I know I’ll have enough money to live on in the future. I can even use my health insurance if something happens to me, like falling ill or having an accident. That gives me peace of mind. A pension is saving for the future.”
Learn more
Fair Work Monitor in Cambodia >
Publication date 17 04 2023