"Defying Law, Alleged CleverMade-Supplying Factory Refuses to Reinstate Fired Union Leaders", 11 April 2023

After Sreu Neang lost his job at Cinlon factory …, where he had recently been elected to serve as a newly formed union’s president, the Ministry of Labor ordered the reinstatement of Neang and two other union leaders ... But more than nine months later, the Kampong Speu based factory has still refused to comply despite multiple government orders, reflecting an increasingly oppressive environment for unions and a lack of government ability or will to enforce labor law, labor rights groups and workers say…

Cinlon supplies California-based tote-bag brand CleverMade, according to the Independent Trade Union Federation (INTUFE), which added it has received no response from the brand. While INTUFE says it sought support from the United Nations International Labor Organization, no action has yet been taken. The ILO, CleverMade and Cinlon chairman Wang Longjun did not respond to requests for comment…

The Department of Labor Inspection issued a letter … fining Cinlon 10 million riel, or $2,463, for refusing to comply with Cambodian labor law. The letter added, “at the same time, the company must take the three union leaders back to work.”

… Independent Trade Union Federation president Ry Sethyneth said that the case exposes the Labor Ministry’s inability to get Cinlon to actually comply with the law.

“This is the weakness of the ministry that doesn’t push the factory to follow the law,” Sethyneth said…

“I sent emails to them a lot of times but they did not respond to me, I don’t think they care,” he said…