PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng has urged unions in the kingdom to considering partnering with the government to solve challenges together. He has spoken to Cambodian Labour Confederation President Ath Thorn who is also working with the Federation of Trade Union in Tourism Sevices leading a working of the union to discuss tourism related issues.

Minister Ith Samheng says, “Unions must consider the Ministry as a partner as a mechanism to provide legal services. If there is a problem that cannot be solve, they can come to consult those matters with us any time.”

CLC president Ath Thorn has expressed his gratitude to the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training for the support and for cooperating helping to solve challenges in the union to protect interests, rights, freedoms, and working conditions of workers to be more effective in tourism, textiles, garments, footwear and travel products and bags, as well as a number of other sectors.

The Minister was pleased to welcome a partnership with the union, which the Ministry has always worked together to address all issues related to mechanisms, both bilateral and tripartite, that can reduce misunderstandings and regulations and labor development policies. Labour issues can also become divisive and lead to labor disputes demonstrations and strikes of all kinds that cause problems to the society, damaging the interests of both employers and workers while affecting the growth of the national economy.

The Minister has added, “The tourism sector is the worst hit in the Covid-19 phase by some companies. It is difficult to cope with the pandemic crisis that has lasted for about 2 years has been closed down. This is a difficult situation, as a whole, in the global tourism sector, any country is affected."

At the same time, the Minister asked the union to be understanding in the phase of the epidemic of Covid- 19 that both employers and workers in this sector are struggling, despite the government's intervention to help Suspended, most employers in this sector cannot solve the guarantee of benefits to workers like in the garment sector Clothing and footwear.

The Minister advised the General Department of Labor and the General Secretariat of the Strike Committee to continue to work more closely with unions to resolve the remaining issues as soon as possible and review additional guidelines or legal documents to ensure law enforcement on more efficient work.