THE International Labor Organization's first report released November 30, found no
evidence of child labor, forced labor or sexual harassment in Cambodia's garment
sector.
However, the report did flag up some problems: forced overtime, anti-union discrimination,
and some shortcomings in meeting conditions for young mothers under the Kingdom's
Labor Law.
Lejo Sibbal, ILO's chief technical advisor to the project, said the survey was an
ongoing process. This first phase saw only 40 of the 190 registered companies examined.
He said the review process would eventually cover all factories.
President of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, Van Sou Ieng, admitted
there was room for improvement, but argued that the presence of 200 factory level
trade unions and eight federations showed workers had adequate freedom of expression.
