Phnom Penh, April 5 2021
The Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU) condemns Tripos International Cambodia Co., Ltd’s persecution and discrimination of leaders, members and activists of the Cambodian Union of Tripos. The Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions calls on the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and brands sourcing from this factory, such as Clarks, to intervene and ensure that leaders, members and activists of the Cambodian Union of Tripos can fully exercise their rights and freedoms in forming and joining as members of the Cambodian Union.
On 19 November 2020, the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions notified Tripos International of the results of the first election to form the Cambodian Union of Tripos. As of today, the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions has organised three elections for formation of a trade union at Tripos, as management continually threaten the leaders, members and activists of the Cambodian Union to resign from the union and submit resignation letters to the union. Afterwards, the company has, on three occasions, taken these letters to the Kampong Chhnang Provincial Department of Labour and Vocational Training with a letter objecting to the registration of the Cambodian Union. We have detailed at least seven separate instances of persecution and discrimination against our members at Tripos.
According to the Cambodian Constitution, the Law on Trade Unions and international conventions, all workers have the right to form trade unions. As well as this, Article 63 of the Law on Trade Unions states that interference by any means with workers in the exercise of their rights to form a trade union is to be considered illegal. On 3 December 2020, the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions filed a complaint with the local Department of Labour about Tripos’ interference with, persecution of and discrimination against the leaders, activists and members of the Cambodian Union. However, despite our complaint to the Department of Labour, Tripos continues to interfere with, persecute and discriminate leaders, activists and members of the Cambodian Union until today. The Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions cannot accept these sorts of acts against our members.
Therefore, in order to protect our members’ interests at Tripos, the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions publicly condemns these acts of persecution and discrimination and calls on the Ministry of Labour and brands sourcing from the factory such as Clarks to intervene and ensure that leaders, members and activists have full rights and freedom in forming and joining as members of the Cambodian Union.
For the full statement in Khmer and English, pleade download here: Media Statment on Tripos Union Harrasment