ETI condemns Cambodian police violence against protesting garment workers

The Ethical Trading Initiative today (10 May) condemned the use of violence against protesting Cambodian garment workers over the weekend.

Around 2,000 garment workers, most of them women, were protesting at the loss of jobs and severance pay following a fire at a factory on 30 March.

According to media reports, officers armed with anti-riot shields, electric batons and guns moved in to disperse the crowd, fired warning shots in the air and left eight women in need of hospital treatment for their injuries.

Said ETI Director Peter McAllister: "Police violence is no way to respond to legitimate workers' demands. We call on the Cambodian government to respect the rule of law and ensure that workers have the space and freedom to be able to organise and demonstrate peacefully in order that they may secure their legitimate demands."

"Retailers also have a part to play: they should be keeping a close eye on their suppliers in Cambodia to check that their workers are being treated in accordance with international labour standards.

"In these tough economic times, which are hitting the poorest workers in the world the hardest, they must pay particular attention to raising wages so that workers can afford to live on them.

"Where retrenchments or factory closures occur, they should work with their suppliers to mitigate the negative consequences, including paying laid-off workers their legal entitlements and helping them find alternative employment."

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