Duration: 1 hour
EuroCham’s Human Resources, Garment & Manufacturing, and Agribusiness Committees met with Minister of Labour and Vocational Training H.E. HENG Sour and his staff last Thursday to discuss labour conditions and capacity building in the Kingdom.
Speaking on behalf of the HR Committee, Chairman CHHEAV Narath highlighted the need for digitising employment contracts, improving apprenticeship programmes, and better managing overtime limits. He emphasised that good working conditions are increasingly prioritised by investors and that improved labour conditions could contribute to further FDI growth.
Garment & Manufacturing Committee Chairman Emerald AM advocated for measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, improve public transport for factory workers, and promote sustainable data sharing. He noted that $89 million in productivity is lost each year as a result of sexual harassment and that 5,100 road accidents involving factory workers were reported last year.
Agribusiness Committee Vice-Chairman Rajiv PRADHAN discussed the need to improve employment conditions in the agricultural sector and promote more sustainable production practices.
EuroCham Secretary General Antoine FONTAINE supported the idea of the Chamber becoming more involved in policy drafting at an earlier stage, ensuring that private sector concerns are considered before draft laws or prakas are finalised.
H.E. HENG Sour expressed strong willingness to collaborate on several of these issues and stated that further integration with the regional economy was a priority as Cambodia prepares to graduate from LDC status in the coming years. He stressed the importance of attracting investment from companies looking to diversify and highlighted workforce education and compliance awareness as key elements for maintaining competitiveness.
His Excellency also noted that labour regulations should evolve to recognise the growth of freelancers and service providers in Cambodia. He added that apprenticeship programmes could be strengthened to provide better training for graduates while creating greater benefits for employers. Finally, the importance of disseminating information on rules and regulations in English to the international community was discussed as a way to improve transparency and strengthen investor confidence.