Cambodia: strike at SL Garment ends

After an almost four months long strike, a deal was finally struck

last week between the workers of SL Garment Processing (Cambodia) Ltd. and the management. Around 1,000 workers cheered when the result of a three-hour meeting between representatives from the ministry, garment industry and labor rights groups at the Labor Ministry was announced as most of their demands were met.

SL Garment produced clothes for international brands like Gap, H&M and Levi Strauss who pulled out in August when the situation got worse. The protests turned violent in November when one woman died and nine people were injured following clashes of the striking workers with Cambodia’s armed forces.

“Our struggle is a success; today is our best day,” commented Ouch Noeun, secretary-general of SL’s chapter of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU). “After today, everybody will know that the workers at SL got their justice, and we appeal to every employer to respect human rights.”

The controversy broke out when CCAWDU members demanded the reinstatement of nineteen union representatives who had been fired after a riot at the factory during which machinery got destroyed. Instead, they were greeted by armed military police to patrol the factory, hired by shareholder Meas Sotha - a move the workers saw as an intimidation tactic against them.

Apart from reinstating the 19 workers, the five-point agenda also addressed the removal of Sotha who will no longer be involved in the day-to-day administration of the factory. In addition, the management will also let employees return to their previous work schedules, drop all lawsuits against CCAWDU and will pay the striking workers half their pay for work missed due to the protests; a total of more than one million US dollars in wages. The workers had demanded full pay but agreed to compromise on this point. The ministry also formed a committee of government, labor and industry officials to oversee the agreement’s implementation.

“This is a very good decision by the employer…. On the workers’ side, we will keep trying to strengthen our good relationship with the employers and other workers in the factory,” commented CCAWDU president Ath Thorn. “Since the workers tried their best to protest to find a solution, it impacted their working process and the dispute was a huge problem. Therefore, it made the government find a solution for them and there was intervention from other NGOs and buyers, making the factory come to find a solution and make an agreement,” added Thorn.

According to Dave Welsh, country manager for the labor rights group Solidarity Center, who was part of the meeting, the intensity and duration of the strike should serve as a warning to factory owners and international brands and retailers. Ignoring workers’ demands and refusing to engage in negotiations could result to potentially huge losses according to him. “The point I would take from this is the seriousness of the labor rights movement,” said Welsh.