Protests Staged, Garment Workers Unable to Adapt To New Management Techniques

Article: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012100259029/National-news/garment-workers-go-on-strike.html

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012091058601/National-news/rare-win-for-ocean-garment-strikers.html

An absolutely incredible mobilization took place on the 2^nd of October among Cambodia's worker population. More than 2000 workers from four factories staged protests demanding better treatment. Turns out the innovative business technique 'fainting and low wages' is not being well-received by the populace. Factory managers are dumbfounded by the implication that they might be wrong. At this point, however, it is uncertain whether these protests will achieve any tangible benefit; Cambodia is not a country that embraces 'deviance' gracefully. However, in early September, a mobilization of 2500 workers managed to press sexual harassment charges on their factory manager. This is extremely rare, though, and even in that case the compensation was not all that impressive. The factory's company director, Mamunar Rashid insisted the decision to cooperate with the workers was not a result of international attention the sexual harassment claims had received. However, with our more developed understanding of advocacy networks and their boomerang effect, I believe this is likely a lie. This would mean good things may come from the more recent protests if Cambodian policy is more effectively influenced by global opinion than it has been historically. Fortunately this issue is very much in the international headlights, with activists all over the world staging 'faint-ins' to protest mistreatment of Cambodian garment workers.