TUC protests to Cambodian Ambassador on global day of action to #freethe23

The TUC's letter is as follows:

Dear Ambassador

Free the 23! Respect workers’ rights in Cambodia

Further to my letter of 11 January, to which I have not yet received a reply, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the national trade union confederation for workers in Great Britain, wishes your Government to free the twenty-three garment workers arrested at the beginning of January (list attached) and facing bail hearings in Cambodia tomorrow, 11 February.

My office emailed and phoned your office last week to arrange for a delegation to visit your Embassy today to deliver this letter in person, but we have, again, received no response.

I reiterate our condemnation of the violence perpetrated by members of the police and armed forces against striking garment workers and our demand that your Government abide by its international undertakings and negotiate in good faith with unions in Cambodia to establish a fair and just minimum wage.

The TUC  calls on your Government to immediately release all arrested workers, to ensure the provision of medical treatment for the injured and to return to the bargaining table, with the representatives of workers and employers, to reach an agreement on a just minimum wage for the textile and garment industry. This requires the following actions:

• release the 23 workers mentioned above;
• undertake a prompt and thorough investigation into violence used against protesters;
• respect the right to freedom of association, in line with ILO Convention 87 which Cambodia has ratified;
• introduce a legal framework consistent with ILO Convention 87 and with ILO Convention 98 on collective bargaining; and
• institute a sound and inclusive process for determining the minimum wage.

As a member of the ILO and having ratified ILO Convention 87 in 1999, the government must also respect the right of unions and workers to exercise their right to freedom of association, including the right to strike, without threat or intimidation.

There is no question that the conduct of the authorities constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights, including freedom of association. We await your immediate action to restore industrial and social peace based on respect for fundamental human rights.

I would be grateful for an urgent reply to this and my previous letter, and would reiterate the TUC’s request for the opportunity for a TUC delegation to meet with you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely

FRANCES O’GRADY

General Secretary