Construction workers prepare supports for a new overpass in the capital’s Meanchey district. Heng Chivoan
Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour has issued ten recommendations for the development of the Kingdom’s labour sector.
His remarks were delivered as he addressed the opening ceremony of a November 20 national trilateral consultative workshop on the organisation of “Decent Work Country Programmes 2024-2028 (DWCPs).”
The workshop aimed to seek input via discussions with a wide variety of attendees, in order guarantee the best outcomes for Cambodia.
In attendance were Oktavianto Pasaribu, deputy director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) country office for Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, along with numerous other trade union officials and representatives of relevant sides.
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“Minister Heng Sour explained that his recommendations were intended to benefit the employment, social security and vocational training sectors of Cambodia, in line with Phase One of the government’s the Pentagonal Strategy,” said a social media post by the labour ministry.
His instructions included first, building trust between all parties and second, ensuring compliance with all occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines. Third, he called for the labour dispute resolution mechanisms to be strengthened through the Arbitration Council (AC). He also believed the scope of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) should be expanded.
His fifth and sixth points referred to the elimination of the exploitation of migrant and child workers, respectively.
Sour’s seventh recommendation concerned the training of the instructors who provide vocational training. This tied into the eighth, the provision of vocational and technical training to 1.5 million young people from poor and vulnerable households, for free, and with monthly living allowances.
His ninth point referred to the equal promotion of female workers and an end to gender discrimination. Finally, he recommended that existing tripartite mechanisms be strengthened.
He expected the gathered workshop participants to engage and discuss the best interests of the nearly 10 million workers in Cambodia, in order to provide input into the government’s plans.
The participants also reviewed the 2019-2023 DWCPs, which are due to conclude on December 31.
They voted to extend them for an additional five years, from 2024-2028, to run alongside the First Phase of the Pentagonal Strategy – and the government’s national development strategy plan 2024-2028 – in order to promote the effective, equal and sustainable growth of jobs.
The 2024-2028 DWCPs will be tied with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2024-2028 (UNSDCF), which facilitates joint efforts by all UN agencies in Cambodia to support the national development strategy plan and ensure the Kingdom achieves its Sustainable Development Goals.
