US still urging Cambodia to broaden and clarify union law
The U.S. is continuing to urge the government to change and clarify key parts of a controversial trade union law that took effect in April, including an amendment to cover civil servants, the U.S.’s international labor affairs representative said on October 5. Sarah Fox, who was in Cambodia this week meeting with government officials and representatives of employers and employees, said the U.S. remained troubled by the law’s failure to comply with International Labor Organization conventions signed by Cambodia. “[T]here are some provisions of this law that continue to raise concerns with regard to obligations under international law,” she told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh. “There are issues that remain with regard to exclusion of certain categories of workers, public servants notably, who aren’t covered by the law in terms of having rights to form unions,” she said.
