CAMBODIAN CONFEDERATION OF UNIONS TRADE UNION ORGANIZING STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INCLUSION 23-27 MAY, 2016 SEOUL, KOREA Presenter: Rong Panha, Cambodia
Contents: Main Points: Country Information The Birth and Development of Trade Unions in Cambodia TUs Organising Right and Freedom that are Ensured By the National and International Laws Confederation Purposes Trade Union Organising Strategies... Thank You Page! For Organisers: We must set targets and organise in the formal and in the informal sectors! Organising is a tool of workers to build their power and their voice! Collective Voice Is A Way To Win Together!
Country Information: Flag - Population in 2015 : 15,328,136 - Areal Total: 181,035 Km2, Water (%): 2.5 - Official Language : Khmer - Currency: Riel - Employment in Agriculture: 73.7% (2014) - Ethnic Group: - 90 % khmer, - Vietnameses, - Chinese, and other - Religion: - Official is Buddhism and other religions are Islam, Christian, and other. Government: Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy Monarch : Norodom Sihamoni Prime Minister: Hun Sen Legislature: Parliament Upper House : Senate Lower House : National Assembly Formation: - Kingdom of Funan: from 68 to 550 - Kingdom of Chenla: from 550 to 706 - Khmer Empire: from 802 to 1431 - Indepedence from France: 09 November, 1953 - Paris Peace Accords: 23 October, 1991 - Monarchy Restore: 24 September 1993 until now.
The Birth and Development of Trade Unions in Cambodia: The birth and development of trade unions in Cambodia may divide into three important periods: 1. Between 1979 to 1990 Cambodia under a centrally planned politico economic system had state controlled unions. 2. Between 1990 to 1997, following the collapse of the centrally planned politico economic system, came the first stage of organising and development of union in a market economy. During this period, 1993 the constitution adopted and also the 1997 Labour Law were enacted creating the legal landscape for unionism to flourish. 3. The third period, 1997 to the present, continued union organising despite labour repression and intensified employers to resistance to the unionism.
TUs Organising Right and Freedom That are Ensured By the National and International Laws: In 1993, the Cambodian Constitutional Assembly adopted the Constitution of the Cambodia on 21 September, 1993 and then announced to practice on 24 September, 1993. Base on the Constitution on Chapter 3: The Rights and Obligations of Khmer Citizens in Article 35 that has presented that khmer citizens of either sex shall be given the right to participated actively in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the nation. Including in Article 36 in paragraph 5 that has written that khmer citizens of either sex shall have the right to form and to be members of trade unions. In paragraph 6 that also has written that the organization and conduct of trade unions shall be determined by law. In 1997, The Cambodian Labour Law is adopted on January 10, 1997 through the National Assembly that has 13 Chapters and 396 Articles. So in Chapter 11, presented about Trade Union Freedom, Section 1: The Right to Form A Trade Union, in Article 266: Worker and employer have, without distinction whatsoever and prior authorization, the right to form professional organizations of their own choice for the exclusive purpose of studying, promoting, and protecting the rights, as well as the moral and material interests, both collectively and individually, of the person covered by the organization s statutes. Professional organization of workers are called Workers Unions. In Article 271: All workers, regardless of sex, age, nationality are free to be a member of the trade union of their choice.
TUs Organising Right and Freedom That are Ensured By the National and International Laws: On August 23, 1999, Government of the Cambodia ratified on ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise that having been convened at San Francisco by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office and having met in its 31 st Session on 17 June, 1948 and adopts this on July 09, 1948. On August 23, 1999, Government of the Cambodia ratified on ILO Convention No. 98 on Right to Organise and Collective Bargaianing that have been convened by the Government Body of the ILO and having met in its 32 nd Session on 08 June, 1949 and adopts this on July 01, 1949. Please See Both Conventions!
TUs Organising Right and Freedom That are Ensured By the National and International Laws: Up to date of the Cambodian Draft of Trade Union Law: IndustriAll was also released it statement on the Cambodian Draft Trade Union Law!
TUs Organising Right and Freedom That are Ensured By the National and International Laws: Trade Union Law has 17 Chapters and 100 Articles. In addition, there are some Articles, unions see it is strictly to organising unions as well as in the following Articles: Article 3, Article 13, Article 14, Article 17, Article 24, Article 29, and Penalty point. Article 10: Structure of Union - Union has three following structures: - A local union shall be established by at least 10 workers in that enterprise or establishment. - A union federation shall be establish by at least 9 registered local unions. - A union federation or coalition of union federation shall be established by at least six registered federations.
Confederation Purposes: Introduction: The Cambodian Confederation of Unions established on August 06, 2006 through it national congress. Established Purposes: - To collect and unite any sector of unions or organizations and associations including non governmental organizations to be a part of the confederation. - To promote and protect the rights of human in workplaces and the whole society as presenting by the national and international laws. - Aiming at the decent work conditions and better living conditions of the employees in the industries across the country. - Ensuring the right to expressions and associations or unions in promoting and protecting human rights in the country. - Educating about rights and freedom of the workers and employees. - Increasing women participations in the labour and social movements, leadership levels in the society. - Encouraging and follow up about democratic applications in the industries or society as in the public and private sectors especially protection of the workers and employees legal benefits and interests. - Strengthening the mechanisms of wage demands and wage negotiations for membership and non-membership employees in industries in the formal and informal sectors.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Introduction: Capacity building of the organisers The organising to build workers power One on one worker communication or lobbying mechanisms Creating orgnaising campaign plan Finally: Check On Achievements!
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Introduction: Why we need to organise workers and empolyees? Answer: We must organize workers (union) in our workplaces and in communication as we seek to build the power of workers to effect changes. Organising is a way to increasing power of each worker for doing communication and cooperation nationally and globally over their working process that relating to the work related concerns as well as on low-wage, unsafe workplaces, minimum living wage studies and settings, social and maternity protection, more benefits, stop-discrimination, bad treatment by supervisor, collective bargaining and freedom of association, justice and peace including democracy in workplaces, so on.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Capacity building of organisers: Training to organisers on organising skills and union understanding An understanding of strategic targetings Practical organising skill to increase unions and building power in a target company or industry Increasing ability to introduce the union to workers and employees in the target sectors Provides an opportunity to develop an organising plan for increasing the union power in their key workplaces.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Organising to build worker power: Unions give workers real power in their workplaces. In addition, organising a union means that workers are standing together and acting collectively to make changes in their workplaces. Especially, unions unlike NGOs/Community Orgs, unions are workers who have elected their leadership in workplace and they found their professional organizations through their ties and dues and working form protecting all together as collectively. Unions are the best vehicle for workers to demand a greater sharing of the fruit of their labour. So forming union is a best way to workers will be able to sit down with management and negotiate on their concerns for better changes and improvments.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Union organising is about having a strategic organizing plan: - It means that workers will fight if they have a plan and they involve in these strategic implementation. Every organising should start with a plan that workers understand and take part of organsing and require to have real efforts and commit to be part of union and also union must be committed to spending them the energy and assisting by it-self for make confidence highly. Union organising is about people: - The most effective way to communicate with people is face to face. It involves visiting workers in their homes, at their work-site, on holidays, or elsewhere and building a relationship with them. It is a best way to the success of the union organising. Union organising is about taking action so workers must demonstrate that they are the union: For win, workers must be active and take on tasks to make organising strategic campaign and form a union. Furthermore, they have to willing to take actions around the issues that help to build and maintain the majority workers support.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! They organise a union to became a constituency that people be able to STAND TOGETHER on behalf of their concerns in their worksite and the whole society including economic and political issues. Cambodian Garment and Shoe Workers Take Truck Back Work To Home At the Evening!
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! One on one worker communication and lobbying mechanisms: Organisers must understand how to approach workers that they are trying to organise after then opening a conversation, listening to their stories and educate them about the meaning of a union, inoculating, and move them to take action. Example: Hello, my name is Mr. A. I m work with/in the Join Union. I was contacted by some of your co-workers about some issues or concerns that people were have at works. I want to talk with you and hear from your opinions about these issues that you met, and so how long have you worked at this factory or enterprises? So on. This is a way to make conversation in generally that organisers always speak its.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Workers were talking during the lunch Areas to examine that organisers must know: When we are speaking with workers, there are some areas to focus as questions around. These questions in the conversation include: - The job: What do you do? - The Boss: Who s your supervisor? - Compensation: How much do you make? or How are the benefits? - Rules and Policies: How do people move shift/get promoted/get fired? - Co-Workers: Who do you work with? Who do people go to with the problems? Who is someone that you really respect, think who is a good worker? - May you tell me more about your work related concerns and your chain of producing these productions.
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Creating orgnaising campaign plan: Thinks carefully about when and how much inoculation or organising to put in the organising campign plan. Especially the idea is to connect with workers and involved honestly their concerns that they always face that many companies are likely to oppose organising efforts. Organising Campaign Plan: - Planing - Monitoring - Aligning Orgaising, National and Branch Plan Levels - Drivig Organising - Management and Administrative - Organisers Developments - Result Analysis!
TUs Organising Strategies: For Development and Inclusion! Finally: Check On Achievements! Through SMART Objectives: - Specific - Measurable - Realistic - Time bound Five W-Questions Analysis: - What : what am I to do? - Why : why is this important for me to do? - Who : who is going to do what? Who else need to be involved? - When : when do I want this to be completed? - How : how am I going to do this?
1 May, 2015, International Labour Day! Cambodian. អរគ ណ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! Composed by: Rong Panha (Mr.) Cambodian Confederation of Unions ()