Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Cambodian workers suffer overtime, low wages
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A female Cambodian worker takes part in a press conference in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Seoul on Jan. 6. She and other laborers criticized the Cambodian government for its excessive use of force to break up workers' protests, which have resulted in the death of five people. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
At least five people were dead and about 20 wounded after riot police and soldiers opened fire to break up a protest of striking garment workers in Cambodia on Jan. 3.
Ten workers and activists had been arrested the previous day.
Striking workers have been calling for increased wages to $160 per month from the current $80 after the government announced on Dec. 24 that it would adopt $95 as the new minimum monthly wage.
Cambodian garment workers, mostly females, claim that they have trouble subsisting on such a small salary. They have to borrow money to support themselves and their families, incurring a growing amount of debt.
According to the Cambodia Daily, Sous Sary, a 31-year-old garment worker, works two hours of overtime every day in order to earn enough to live on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Workers from Southeast Asia countries including Cambodia hold a rally in front of Bosingak, Jongno in central Seoul on Jan. 12, calling for resignation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for labor repression. / Yonhap
The daily quoted Sary, who sews trousers at the Bright Sky factory in Dangkao district, as saying that her basic monthly expenses alone total $130, while the minimum monthly wage in the garment sector is just $80, meaning that working overtime, which is technically optional, is obligatory for her in reality.
Tola Moeun, head of the Community Legal Education Center in Phnom Penh, which advocates workers rights, described the reality facing Cambodian laborers as two handcuffs.
“Cambodian garment workers have two handcuffs and one weapon (against them). One handcuff is a short-term contract (10 hours a day, six days a week). If they get pregnant, they feel they have to get an abortion so they don’t lose their jobs,” Moeun told the IPS, an international communication institution focusing on development, globalization, human rights and the environment.
Rep. Chun Soon-ok, center, of the main opposition Democratic Party, together with members of civic groups, holds an open forum at the National Assembly on Jan. 13 to discuss labor repression issues involving multinational Korean firms in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries. / Courtesy of Chun’s office
“The second handcuff is the low wage. The weapon used against them is violence, both mental and physical,” Moeun said.
Following the death of workers, the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which has led the workers’ protest, tentatively suspended the protest on Jan. 5 to avoid further bloodshed.
Korean firms
Clothing factories across Cambodia were shut while workers and the government clashed, bringing the country’s vital garment industry to a standstill for awhile.
Reactions in Korea varied. Some were concerned about a delay in production at Korean companies in the Southeast Asian country.
Korean firms there indeed suffered from damages, including the cessation of factory operations. The Korean Embassy in Cambodia explained that five Korean clothing companies among a total of 50 ceased their operations and sent workers home.
However, more people raised voices claiming that Korean firms and the government deserve some blame for the controversy over what the critics say is labor repression.
The criticism got stronger after Korean companies appeared to be preparing to file a lawsuit against the leader of main opposition CNRP and the labor unions, seeking compensation for damages.
They claimed that they have suffered about a $10 million loss due to a setback in production and damages to facilities caused by the workers’ demonstrations.
However, labor right advocates say that a lawsuit will not help resolve the situations as inhumane and anti-labor behaviors have long been a subject of criticism from the international community.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and other civic and human rights groups raised fresh speculation, saying “Korean companies and the Korean Embassy there joined hands with the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) when asking for the Cambodian government to mobilize soldiers to break up the protest.”
The GMAC is the group of multinational clothing companies that includes Korean firms.
At a joint press conference on Jan. 10, the KCTU claimed that the Cambodian government indiscriminately resorted to violence on the request of the Korean companies, although the protest was a peaceful demonstration in which laborers, citizens and even Buddhist monks attended.
“The Korean Embassy asked high-ranking officials of the Cambodian government to resolve the strike on Dec. 27, a few days after workers began the protest,” said the KCTU. “On Dec. 30, the embassy sent the Cambodian justice ministry an official document requesting protection for Korean companies, and on Jan. 3, a military unit was out in force to haul in protesters in front of the Korean firm.”
The umbrella union group lashed out at the Korean firms for their poor working conditions and alleged attempts to suppress the workers’ unions.
The embassy, however, denied the KCTU’s argument, saying that asking the Cambodian government to cooperate in protecting Korean firms and Korean residents was a reasonable request.
The embassy added that Chinese and Japanese Embassies made similar requests to the Cambodian government, expressing regret over the KCTU’s accusation.
Responsibilities
However, experts said taking the Cambodian case as an example, it is ripe time for the Korean government and Korean firms there to think about the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
They cited the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, a set of nonbinding guidelines that recommend multinational firms seek ethical business practices which was signed by the OCED member governments. The 11-point code of conduct has advised the global businesses to faithfully respect human rights, environmental values and workers’ rights.
“There has been criticism both at home and abroad for the Korean government’s alleged failure to strictly follow the OECD guidelines,” said Rep. Chun Soon-ok of the main opposition Democratic Party at an open forum she arranged last week to discuss labor repression issues involving Korean multinational firms.
The lawmaker said that, in accordance with the guideline, OECD members need to set up a national contact point (NCP) in their home countries to look into petitions submitted by employees working in multinational companies, and arbitrate in disputes between laborers and management.
“The industry ministry has been tasked with playing a role as NCP, but it has neglected its duty. The ministry did not handle most petitions, citing a reason that such cases are local trials,” said Rep. Chun.
Chun is the younger sister of Chun Tae-il, the iconic workers’ rights activist who set himself on fire and died at age 22 while protesting against inhumane working conditions at small clothing factories in Seoul in the 1970s.
She stressed that latest dispute between Southeast Asian workers and Korea’s multinational enterprises shows the need for complying with the OECD guidelines, calling on the National Assembly, the government, labor unions and civic groups to get together and look for a solution.
“Korean multinational firms need to pay more attention to human rights and the labor rights of workers to fulfill the CSR,” said the lawmaker.
Sookmyung Women’s University law Professor Hong Sung-soo citied another international rule imposed on multinational companies ― 10 core principles of the U.N. Global Compact.
“The principles are interpreted that the companies need to take responsibility not only for matters they directly control, but also for any human rights abuses that consequently happen as a result of their relevant activities, regardless of whether that was their intention or not,” said Hong in his column.
Hong explained some global companies were already in hot water due to child exploitation in their subcontract factories.
“Taking this as an example, even if Korean multinational firms did not ask the Cambodian government to intervene in the protest, they cannot be freed from their responsibility as long as they earned some benefit from this repression,” said Hong.
The professor added how the Korean government and Korean firms deal with the situation will show whether they are faithful to the international standard.