Around 10,731 Cambodian garment workers from eight factories in various parts of the Southeast Asian country like Phnom Penh and Kampong have been suspended or terminated since July.
“The recent mass suspension of apparel workers is not new for the industry and is a result of the economic crisis and political landscape in Cambodia,” Business Human Rights Resource quoted Touch Soeu, President of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers as saying.
“Before the suspensions and terminations of worker contracts, the factories told the workers that there were no raw materials, no buyers, and supply and demand were not equal,” Soeu said.
“The worker terminations documented in the report reflect a trend in the industry, which has faced other major layoffs this year,” he added.
“The suspension or dismissal of factory workers is a result of low demand and canceled orders. On top of that, he said some factory owners exploit their workers and do not respect labour laws,” Ath Thorn, President of the Cambodian Labour Confederation was also quoted.
“Recently, owners of companies have closed their companies without paying the workers and went on to open new ones,” Thorn also said.
“Some factories did not comply with Labor Ministry requirements when laying off or suspending workers,” Khun Tharo, Program Manager for the NGO Central added.
“This trend of layoffs has been going on since the beginning of 2023, but has increased even more closer to the national elections,” Tharo informed.
10,731 Cambodian garment workers terminated since July
