The establishment of community nurseries and kindergartens near factory zones is one of the four priority tasks of the 7th-mandate government. LABOUR MINISTRY
Trade unions have applauded the government for prioritising the establishment of community nurseries and kindergartens in areas where factories and manufacturing enterprises are concentrated. They expect that the policy, which is due to be rolled out in the next two years, will alleviate the hardships placed upon workers by the need to organise child care.
An October 23 social media post by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training cited Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) president Pav Sina as among the union representatives who have expressed their support for the policy.
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“The establishment of community nurseries and kindergartens is an excellent indicator that the government is taking the living conditions of workers and their families seriously.
“To facilitate workers with small children sending their children to early childhood care centres near their workplaces is a positive step. This will make workers with small children feel valued, and allow them to focus on their work,” the post cited the prominent CUMW president as saying.
Sina said that over the years, workers with small children have always been concerned about the health, safety and care of their children while working. As president of a union which represents workers in the textile and garment sectors, he said he would like to see the policy implemented as soon as possible.
Ath Thorn, president of the Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC), told The Post on October 23 that he also supported the policy. However, he proposed regulations which ensure that the nurseries and kindergartens meet certain quality standards, especially with regard to the professionalism of the caregivers, teachers and other staff.
He noted that in the past, some factories that did not meet the legal standards to build nurseries instead provided allowances to workers with small children, which were agreed to by the workers. He asked that the government scrutinise the new policy carefully, in order to make sure it truly serves the interests of workers.
The establishment of community nurseries and kindergartens near factory zones is one of the four priority tasks of the 7th-mandate government. With the goal of implementing the policy within two years, the government has requested that the labour ministry work with the ministries of Women’s Affairs and Education, Youth and Sport, along with employers’ and workers’ representatives.
Nuth Sambath, president of the Institute of Medicine, Biology and Agriculture at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said on October 23 that he believes the policy will be of great benefit to workers, especially in terms of time, peace of mind and financial pressure. This will allow workers to increase their productivity and ensure their children are safe.
“Most workers send their children to live with their grandparents if they cannot afford to keep them close. The construction of nurseries will reduce the health risks to children and cut down their parent’s expenses,” he told The Post.
According to a report by the labour ministry, between January 1, 2018 and October 2 this year, 419,044 factory workers gave birth to 406,012 children.
