Phnom Penh: Leaders of major unions in Cambodia have said that if there are restrictions on union freedoms as some individuals have suggested, there will be no gatherings to express opinions from all trends on May 1, as they consider such statements to be distortions and do not reflect the true reality in Cambodian society.
Mr. Sam Soeun, President of the National Confederation of Labor of Cambodia, said that Cambodia does not have restrictions on the freedom of trade unions as mentioned. In fact, on May 1, yesterday, unions from all trends celebrated International Labor Day and expressed their opinions and concerns in public places. All of those concerns were accepted by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training and related institutions.
He said, “I think the remarks made by that group of people are unacceptable and biased. “And it has a misleading nature that does not reflect the actual situation of unions in Cambodia. What we all see is that the freedom of unions is improving, and our workers and employees are receiving better and more reasonable working conditions, both in terms of wages and other conditions.”
At the same time, Mr. Sam Soeun raised the question of whether unions protesting against the royal government are called independent unions? And are the Workers’ and Employees’ Benefit Protection Cooperatives really fake unions? He said that some unions and civil society organizations that claim to be independent but act independently do not serve the interests of workers. On the contrary, they incite workers to protest, hold illegal demonstrations, violate the law, cause chaos, anarchy, and lead to violence, etc.
Mr. Un Dara, president of the Cambodian Workers’ Union, said: “Our team is not obstructing the activities to celebrate the 140th International Workers’ Day. The authorities are helping to coordinate security issues and prepare locations for more union meetings.” The program went smoothly and the workers participated in large numbers and were happy to gather on this occasion.”
He continued: “We have no threats, it is open, the participants are happy, and we have the opportunity to express opinions, send messages to relevant institutions, and have many programs to join the Royal Government in finding solutions to other social problems.”
For Mr. Hang Ravy, President of the Cambodian Workers’ Union Confederation (CWPUC), the implementation of the union’s freedoms has been excellent, having implemented its freedoms extensively to protect the interests of workers and employees and as a negotiating representative with factory owners. Therefore, Cambodia is a country governed by the rule of law and has the right to freedom, which is a paradise for unions.
According to union leaders, unions and professional organizations are registered properly according to procedures and have submitted their statutes to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. The statute declares its stance to serve the interests of workers and employees, promote harmony in professional relations, and not participate in politics or any political activities.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, the Royal Government continues to strengthen the harmonization of professional relations, registering a total of 6,920 professional organizations, including 43 union federations, 285 cooperative federations, 6,579 grassroots unions, and 13 employers’ associations as of the first quarter of 2026.
