JOINT STATEMENT ON “Migrant Workers’ Challenges in relation to Recruiting Companies, T & P Co, Ltd and Giant Ocean International Fishery Co, Ltd”

 JOINT STATEMENT ON:

“Migrant Workers’ Challenges in relation to Recruiting Companies, T & P Co, Ltd and Giant Ocean International Fishery Co, Ltd”

Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), CARAM-Cambodia, Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) and NGO Committee on CEDAW express great concern about the increase in the number of cases related to migrant workers and the violation of their rights to work, in particular the recent cases involving two recruiting companies namely; T & P Co, Ltd” which  had its license withheld by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training and Giant Ocean International Fishery Co, Ltd which was closed down in early 2012.

Due to negligence by these two companies, we have observed that there are a lot of issues challenging migrant workers such as: rights violation, physical assault, forced labor, disappearance, detention in the receiving country without salary or a reduced salary, lack of food which   may cause sickness, and death may also occur from a variety of different factors. Despites these violations, these two companies continued to send migrant workers to work in countries such as South Africa, Singapore, China, Fiji, Mauritius and also to other countries that fall outside the license granted by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training.

According to public announcements by the media and through the investigations conducted by NGOs working in the field of migrants, it was reported that there were 102 victims, of whom 46 persons were victims of the Giant International Fishery Co, Ltd; and 56 were victimized by T & P Co, Ltd. These statistics were collected by two organizations, ADHOC and CARAM-Cambodia, within a 6 months period, this year.

The NGOs strongly urge the Cambodian government and the court to immediately take serious action to hold these two companies accountable, following the Cambodian legal procedures currently in force.

We would also like to appreciate and thank the Cambodian government that has so far taken action against some of the recruiting companies who did not follow the laws. Therefore in order to promote and respect the rights of migrant workers, we would like to appeal to the government and other concerned institutions to take actions as following:

1-      Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training and other institutions shall redress the victims who have been violated and exploited by the two companies, in accordance Sub-degree No. 190 dated 17 August 2011.

2-      Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation should immediately create an effective response system for facilitating the communication between the migrants and their families who are living in the receiving countries to repatriate safely. Also, the ministries should create an effective mechanism to resolve the challenges facing the migrants who are living in difficult situations, while the companies are being closed down or having their licenses withdrawn.

3-      Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation should enforce the laws properly and effectively, the court should also punish the perpetrators, and prevent human trafficking and violations against the migrant workers.

4-      The Cambodian government should immediately ratify ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

        Phnom Penh, 14 August 2012

For more information:

Dr. Pung Chhiv Kek Chairwoman of NGO-CEDAW                     

                 Tel: 012 802 506

Mr. Ya Navuth                      Executive Director of CARAM-Cambodia                       Tel: 012 961 427

Mrs. Chuon Chamrong Head of Women and Children Section of ADHOC               Tel: 012 832 069

Mr. Suon Bunsak       Executive Secretary of CHRAC                         
               Tel: 092 344 357