Labour minister Heng Sour (right) meets with Philippine ambassador to Cambodia Maria Amelita Aquino on October 30. LABOUR MINISTRY
Cambodia and the Philippines have expressed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation to enhance labour rights and social security for the benefit of the people of both nations, as part of their partnership as ASEAN member states.
The commitment was made during an October 30 meeting between Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour and Philippine ambassador to Cambodia Maria Amelita Aquino.
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According to Sour’s social media post, both sides discussed the progress of the protection of civil rights in the field of labour and also reviewed the progress of cooperation in the field of social security.
“We agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the field of labour rights and social security, in order to benefit the people of both nations,” he wrote, adding that the ambassador also thanked the Cambodian government for taking care of the Filipinos working in the Kingdom without discrimination.
The Philippine side also agreed to expand cooperation in the field of vocational training beyond existing agreements.
Mann Seng Hak, president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), said on October 31 that continuing cooperation between the two nations is excellent, as Cambodia aims to attract more investment from partner countries.
He suggested that the Cambodian government, through the labour ministry, ensure the rights and freedoms of workers, citizens and unions are not being restricted. He claimed that freedom of association had recently shrunk under pressure from employers and major businesses, while noting that Cambodia has received support from many countries in the field of labour rights.
“As the Philippines has the support of the West, their continued cooperation with us could give us the opportunity to work more closely with some of the countries that already act as our development partners,” he noted.
Outside of labour rights cooperation, he also suggested that the Philippines partner with Cambodia in other sectors such as the suppression of drug crimes and human trafficking, as mutual support would enable better results.
