"Ministry ends discussions on Labour Law draft amendments", 21 September 2020

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training has ended discussions on amendments to the Labour Law and plans to send a draft to the inter-ministerial group for review before it goes to the National Assembly for approval…

Labour minister Ith Sam Heng led a meeting … attended by government officials, employers, and trade unions.

The goal was to continue discussing the amendments to the Labour Law and comprehensively finalise the draft law…

First, the ministry revised the night-shift wage rates equal to the day-shift wage rates under new Article 144 and relevant articles.

Second, it cancelled a day-off that falls on Sunday in Article 162 and relevant articles. Third, it expanded the scope of the Arbitration Council in solving individual disputes in Article 300 and relevant articles…

Sam Heng said the expansion of the scope of the Arbitration Council was to participate in strengthening the effectiveness of mechanisms to solve labour disputes in Cambodia.

He said it gives parties a choice to choose mechanisms to solve disputes and is in line with the global principle so parties can get justice quickly.

National Trade Union president Fa Saly said he didn’t oppose the amendments to the Labour Law, but he didn’t want Article 162 revised.

“This draft law will be sent to the inter-ministerial group and the National Assembly for review and approval,” he said.

Six independent trade unions boycotted the discussions and requested the ministry to drop the amendments because the new law will hurt workers…