Khmer Times/Mom Kunthear Monday, 01 August 2016
Labor Ministry officials on Friday issued warnings to two people who have been calling themselves “union representatives” without the actual backing of any union after a number of unionists asked the ministry to investigate the pair.
The Labor Ministry said they would take further action under the Labor Law if the two did not stop.
Srey Chamroeun, a student leader known for his dogged pursuit of opposition leader Kem Sokha during his alleged sex scandal, and Thy Sovantha, a pro-government activist, were strongly rebuked by Kuy Tepdaravuth, director of the Labor Ministry’s dispute department, in a warning letter on Friday.
Two weeks ago, the two were in the news for organizing a protest against opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) president Sam Rainsy’s suggestion to the European Union that Cambodian garment imports should be used as a bargaining chip for human rights in the country.
They claimed to be union representatives of 110,000 workers in 10 factories and said they would lead a demonstration in favor of annulling the CNRP if the EU cuts garment imports from Cambodia.
Last Wednesday, Mann Seng Hak, vice-president of the Free Trade Union (FTU), said he sent a letter to Labor Minister Ith Samheng about Mr. Chamroeun and former opposition activist Ms. Sovantha, who has filed defamation charges against Mr. Sokha in connection with the sex scandal that broke earlier this year.
Mr. Tepdaravuth responded on Friday, saying: “We warn Mr. Srey Chamroeun and Ms. Thy Sovantha that according to the trade union law, individuals who act in a union or for an employers’ association without registration and act beyond the geographical place and professional role defined in their statute will face administrative measures and penalties.”
Mr. Tepdaravuth urged both activists to stop what they were doing and register with a union before they tried again.
“In case they still continue their activities, we will allow a second phase of compliance with the union law,” he added.
The FTU slammed Mr. Chamroeun and Ms. Sovantha for branding themselves representatives of unions and told the Labor Ministry that both had directly violated stipulations within the Trade Union Law.
Mr. Seng Hak told Khmer Times yesterday that he has not received an official letter from the ministry, but saw the letter through social media.
He was unhappy with the ministry’s response, claiming it was only a warning and not strong enough.
“I know that this warning is a message for unions as well as other associations which used to cause chaos in the public to be careful.
According to the law, this warning is their first, but for me, I wanted the ministry to be stricter than this because people will only respect the union law if it is strict,” he said. “The ministry cannot close its eyes and let people who do not have a clear role to protest in public.”
Mr. Chamroeun and Ms. Sovantha could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Ms. Sovantha said on Facebook that she had not seen the warning from the ministry.
“I and my legal team are working on this case. If the law specifies that I’m not guilty, I will protest to the Labor Ministry. I’m not a coward like Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha,” Ms. Sovantha wrote.
At a protest on July 24, both activists filed a petition to the National Assembly (NA), asking them to intervene with the EU and stop any potential slowdown of imports from Cambodia. Mr. Rainsy mentioned the idea earlier this month at a meeting, but it was never enacted and would never make it through Europe’s parliament even if it was put into action, according to experts.
The petition asked the NA to “take action” against Mr. Rainsy if the idea ever did come to fruition.
But their claims of being unionists roiled those who have been working in factories for decades and led to the Labor Ministry statement.
Responding to complaints that the punishment was not strict enough, the Labor Ministry said their administrative procedures say to first remind individuals not to do something and, after reminding them a second time, are allowed to take legal action.
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