Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) yesterday denied the accusation that most factory employers have failed to implement preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus.

This was in response to recent allegations made by the Cambodia Confederation of Union (CCU), who insisted factory workers are exposed to the threat of the global pandemic.

In a statement yesterday, GMAC called the accusation “baseless”, adding safety and health of the workers have always been the number one priority in its business operating principal.

GMAC said this was evident in the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee, in compliance with Cambodia’s Labour Law, core international labour standards and requirements set by international buyers.

It added members of GMAC have been proactive in these trying times by taking extra measures to prevent the spread. GMAC also stressed it adheres to all guidelines set by the government of Cambodia, especially from the Health Ministry.

“The above accusation is a total discredit to all the big efforts of the government and employers. The CCU’s statement is counter-productive and meaningless. It is an attempt to project a negative image of Cambodia,” GMAC said.

In its statement on Wednesday, the CCU claimed most industrial employers failed to provide masks and alcohol-based hand sanitisers to their employees, and they did not take the latter’s temperatures before entering the workplace.

“Without specific preventive measures, workers could be at high risk for virus infection.”

“The union urges employers to pay more attention to workers’ health and to ensure they keep their wages if they are not working for a while if the pandemic remains unfulfilled,” it said.

President of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers Pav Sina said some garment factory workers are also concerned about their wellbeing amidst the COVID-19 threat.

This is mostly because they do not have the luxury of working from home, while others in different sectors are encouraged to do so.

“The workers said a garment factory is a place where thousands come to work every day. There are also occasional foreign visitors who come to the factory. The workers are concerned about their health,” he said.

A factory worker who declined to be identified told Khmer Times the current environment at most factories makes it easy for a virus to spread. “Most of us are worried because there are thousands of people working at the same place. If one worker is a carrier, the virus can easily spread to others as well,” the worker said.

“The government ordered schools, KTVs and other establishments to close down and they even banned social gatherings but it seems like they do not care much about garment factory workers, in spite of our numbers. We are worried about our health and we don’t want to bring home diseases to our family member,” the worker said.

• Tags: COVID-19 in Cambodia, garment workers, GMAC