Beer Promoter's Union Being Undermined in Cambodia

Sar Mora, President of the Cambodian Food and Service Worker's Federation (CFSWF), says that Cambrew (half owned by Danish multinational brewing giant, Carlsberg) supports 'yellow' unions and continues to harass union activists.

Union Members are being penalised by Cambrew

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA have been reporting the dispute between the beer promotion workers and Cambrew, Cambodia's largest brewery company. The workers are demanding the company complies with the 1997 Labour Law and Arbitration Award No. 66/11 in respect to paying workers overtime when they work on their days off.

Cambrew is half owned by Danish multinational beverage company Carlsberg, which in 2010 made a profit of almost one billion dollars. The striking beer promotion workers were asking to be paid $4 to work on Sunday, which is their entitlement according to the law.

Through our Facebook page, we have been reporting the positive signs that Cambrew plans to pay the overtime owed to beer promotion workers.

But it seems we spoke too soon. It appears that Cambrew is refusing to meet with the CFSFW. Instead they say that they have reached an agreement with another union that claims to represent 98% of Cambrew beer promotion workers.

The trouble is that the chairman of this other union is also a manager at Cambrew. This union is a 'yellow' union, or factory union, set up to undermine the free and independent CFSFW that initiated the action and delivered for workers.

Even worse, the company is actively penalising the workers and union members who took part in the industrial action by moving them to more dangerous and lower turnover premises.

As the retainer for beer promotion workers is only US $50/month, workers rely on commissions to survive. CFSFW also reports that workers are being deliberately placed in far away areas with only one truck coming to collect them after their shift, meaning that these workers are forced to wait in dangerous locations.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA calls on Carlsberg to intervene and

1. recognise CFSFW as the legitimate representative of the workers;
2. make contact with and negotiate in good faith with CFSFW; and
3. stop penalising union representatives and those that took industrial action.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA and CFSFW have been working together on occupational health & safety, HIV awareness and organising since 2006.

You can read CFSWF's letter below

Download File:
'Carlsberg Supports Yellow Unions' [ pdf ]
Contact Details
Matt Hilton, Cambodia Project Officer
Ph:  (02) 9264 9343
Fax: (02) 9261 1118
mhilton@apheda.org.au

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

Last Modified: Monday, 12-Sep-2011 12:59:29 EST
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