manual: women workers' rights and gender equality - International ...

Step 4
• Discuss with the group what the role of a trade union can be in their situation, use the following
questions:
- Do they think women can become a member of a trade union?
- Do they think it would be useful if women would become a member?
- What would they like a trade union to do for their specific situation?
- How do they think they can reach this specific goal?
Step 5
• Explain that organizing is a right everybody has and what kind of advantages one has as
member of a group
• Give examples of different forms of organizing
Step 6
• Summarize the discussions and mention once more that taking action together makes you
stronger
Notes for the trainer
The two stories are just two examples to show that you are often stronger in a group than alone as
a single person. In a group you can put more pressure. For instance, it is much easier for an
employer to fire an individual that comes to complain than a group of workers with complaints.
You can illustrate this with the example of the chopsticks: it is very easy to break one chopstick but
hard to break a bundle of 10.
The following case happened in a factory and can be used as an illustrative example for successful
action:
- Nary has been working at a garment factory in Phnom Penh for five years. She started to work
when she was 17 years old. At that time, the factory owner asked all workers to sign a contract
saying that if a female worker marries she had to resign from her factory job.
- Many friends of Nary were dismissed when the factory found out that they got married. Finally,
when the factory owner decided to dismiss another woman, Sophy, all workers stopped work to
protest against the factory owner. However, this did not prevent the dismissal. The factory
owner threatened that if they did not go back to work, all of them would be fired. The workers
did not stop but made more complaints against the factory owner.
- Finally, their complaints reached the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour, Vocational Training and
Youth Rehabilitation (MOSALVY) as well as the municipal court. There is no regulation that
allows an employer to dismiss a woman if she marries. It is discrimination against women and
therefore against the Cambodian Constitution.
- There were many other protests coming from the women's movement against the factory owner
with support from the trade union and MOSALVY, and they succeeded in changing the factory
rules. Since then labour conditions have improved. The workers and other factory employees
as well as the Trade Union understand each other in addressing problems without violence. All
women workers, including Nary, continue their work without discrimination after their marriage.
There are different organizations that can play an important role in organizing workers. Trade
Unions for instance, can play important roles in all kind of issues concerning employment. They
can act as a pressure group and file complaints to the concerning Ministry or Departments.
Another important issue is that they can collectively bargain for better payment and better working
conditions for all workers and women in particular. They can also bargain for maternity protection
for women and child-care facilities, provide education and training on workers’ and women’s rights,
and improve health and safety conditions at work.
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