International Women's Day: Security of Cambodian garment workers in jeopardy

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, an expected 30,000 garment workers, the vast majority of whom are women, will come together in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park for a mass Forum on Labour Rights to continue their struggle for an increase in the minimum wage to US$160/month, trade union rights, and the release of 21 activists who have been held in jail since early January.

Over the past several months, the Cambodian government has sent clear messages to garment workers and their supporters that public gatherings related to labour rights will be violently repressed, including the publication of photos in local newspapers this morning showing approximately 2,000 riot police preparing for tomorrow’s Forum.

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Ten months after Rana Plaza tragedy, it’s time for clothing brands to Pay Up

On February 24, 10 months after the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh killed over 1,100 garment workers and injured over 2,000 more, 70 trade unions and other civil society organizations released a joint statement calling on all companies whose products are made in Bangladesh to Pay Up by contributing to the Donor Trust Fund for the Rana Plaza victims.

Signatories to the joint statement include 22 Canadian organizations, 30 Bangladeshi groups, the Global Unions IndustriALL and UNI, and organizations from across Asia, Europe and in the United States. To date, only seven companies, including Canada’s Loblaw, have publicly committed financial contributions to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund.

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Maquila Solidarity Network: www.maquilasolidarity.org The Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) is a labour and women's rights organization that supports the efforts of workers in global supply chains to win improved wages and working conditions and a better quality of life. We welcome your donations.