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Union Reps Reinstated with Better Terms After Garbage Collection Company Workers’ Protest, Ministry Intervention

Garbage workers collect garbage along National Road 6A in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changvar district on January 20, 2025. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang)
Garbage workers collect garbage along National Road 6A in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changvar district on January 20, 2025. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang)

Around 200 workers of 800 Super-GAEA (Cambodia) Co Ltd protested after the garbage collection company terminated their union leaders following the formation of a union at their workplace. The workers demanded the reinstatement of their four union leaders and compliance with legal rights and benefits under the labor law.

In response to their protest and a formal complaint filed with the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, the company eventually agreed to recognize the union representatives and provide benefits in accordance with the law.

At 9 p.m on January 19, a local media showed a livestream on Facebook of a protest by garbage collectors and drivers working for 800 Super-GAEA in Prek Pnov commune, Prek Pnov district, Phnom Penh. They had been protesting from 5 p.m on that day. The night shift workers refused to return to work until the company reinstated their union representatives.

“Both drivers and garbage collectors want to form a union, but the company stopped our representatives from working,” one of the workers said. “They dismissed four union representatives because they don’t want us to create a union.”

The workers also demanded that the company provide timely seniority indemnity payments.

Garbage truck team leader Rong Saray said the company fired him and three other union representatives after they notified the company about forming a union at work.

Saray said they established the union when the company violated their labor rights and failed to provide benefits, including not giving holidays in accordance with labor laws, reducing the number of employees working on holidays, and not paying seniority pay.

However, he was sacked when the employer learned that a union would be formed, citing downsizing as the reason. Saray said the company’s behavior constitutes discrimination and abuse against unions, which are protected under the law.

“The company terminated our employment contracts. Before terminating the contracts, the company changed our job [duties] after we notified the company about forming a union,” Saray said.

“According to the union law, when a company acts like this, it means that the company is being discriminatory. We are fighting for the unjust termination of the four of us. We have suffered a lot of injustice,” he added. 

Following the protest by the employees, which called for the reinstatement of the four union representatives, the ministry, Cambodian Tourism Workers’ Union Federation (CTWUF), and company representatives met, leading to the company agreeing to four conditions.

Touch Kosal, president of CTWUF, alleged that 800 Super-GAEA discriminated against the formation of unions in the workplace. Although unions are granted special protection rights, the company violated the labor law. 

Kosal believes that the solidarity of the employees compelled the relevant authorities to step in and successfully resolve the issue involving the four union leaders. He considered the intervention by the ministry to ensure justice for the workers a good measure.

According to Kosal, the company accepted all four conditions proposed by the workers during the meeting. The company allowed the union leaders to return to work and agreed to settle their seniority pay during the layoff and to other workers on January 25. 

The company also agreed to weekly off days, and if the worker comes to work on their day off they will receive 200% of the salary. Workers were granted 18 days annual leave as stipulated by the law. If the worker works for three consecutive years, the company will add one more day to the annual leave.

He said what the company did was discriminatory because the workers did good work. “Just after their [union] election on January 3, the company called the leaders in to discuss abandoning the union. Then, they threatened to sack them or change their job skills, which is a form of discrimination,” Kosal said. 

A similar issue occurred with another garbage collection company in 2023 when their employees organized a union. However, the boss fired the employee without conducting an investigation or ensuring justice, citing the “employee’s disrespect for the company’s leadership”.

“The resolution for this current case [800 Super-GAEA] is acceptable. If we look at the previous case, there was a problem with union termination but it was not resolved. Companies should not discriminate against unions, and the ministry should look closely and not accept the company’s decision. The ministry must implement it [the solution] according to the law,” Kosal said. 

Meanwhile, Saray appreciated the ministry and CTWUF’s assistance in the pursuit of justice, which enabled him to promptly register the union and return to work under respectable working conditions according to the labor law.

A 800 Super-GAEA employee, Svay Lam Vicheka, head of the Prek Pnov District Car Management Department and a union vice president, confirmed that his company accepted all four proposals after the intervention by the ministry and others.

“The union’s dissolution is illegal and discriminatory. I agree with the resolution,” Vicheka said. 

According to the Phnom Penh Capital Hall, 800 Super-GAEA oversees waste management in five communes such as Toul Kork, Russey Keo, Sen Sok, Chroy Changva, and Prek Phnov.

On March 16, 2023, around 100 garbage collection workers from MIZUDA Company protested in front of the company, demanding the reinstatement of Mi Phan, who was running for union president. They also called for the return of money taken in exchange for their jobs and urged the company not to suppress their working hours.

The company, 800 Super-GAEA, could not be reached for comment.

Kata Orn, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said many disputes are resolved through bilateral negotiation mechanisms between employers and employee representatives. A small number settled through the ministry’s dispute resolution framework, while some went through the Arbitration Council. None are referred to the courts.

“The ministry strives to strengthen inspections to reduce disputes and strengthen labor rights and working conditions, ensuring that enterprises are a safe community,” he said.

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