Cambodia- Helen Keller International sign memo on promoting workers’ health at work place

Location: Phnom Penh Cambodia

Language: Cambodian

Duration: 00:6:53

Source: A24

Restrictions: A24 Subscribers

Dateline: 27-01-2022

Storyline:

Workers rejoiced and had a sigh of relief after the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training struck a memorandum of understanding with the Helen Keller International Cambodia to launch a project promoting the women and workers’ health and nutrition at the workplace and factories.

Supported by the GIZ-MUSEFO program, the MoU seeks to promote of Cambodia’s health and economic health. Through this program, Pav Sina Sina, the president of Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW), expressed the expectation that after the project is successful, the health of factory workers will improve, which will help increase production for investor. The deal was brought forward after factory workers reported incidents of fainting due to the lack of nutrients. Workers would have bought low quality and unhealthy food just for the sake of saving money.

Shot list:

–           (SOUNDBITE) Mr. Pav Sina (President of Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW)):

“I have been following this meeting, I think it is very important if this project is successful because it can help our Cambodian factory workers to pay more attention to the promotion of worker’s health and in particular, awareness of nutrition in helping to improve the health of workers.”

–           (SOUNDBITE) Mr. Pav Sina (President of Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW)):

 “Therefore, it is very important for factory workers because their current income is still limited to buy good food and hygiene items, so they have to save all their income.”

–           (SOUNDBITE) Mrs. Sun Sopha (Factory Worker):

“We know those foods sold in front of the factory are not nutritious and unhealthy; vegetables and meat are not fresh, but we have no choice, so we have to eat to fill our stomach.”

–           (SOUNDBITE) Ms. Chheang Synai (Factory Worker):

“Every day I buy lunch from a pace in front of the factory. It is not nutritious enough, so I have to buy other soft drinks to get more power. Every day I pay R2,500 for lunch ($ 0.63). “

–           (SOUNDBITE) Mrs. Heang Sonary (Factory Worker):

“Some factory workers have to support their mothers, fathers and children, who are still in school. If he wanted to eat healthy, he would not have enough money to support their family. Nowadays, they spend only R2500 ($ 0.63) on food and still workers would face family issues, if they spend R5,000 ($ 1.25) per day, they will not be able to pay for school for their children.”

–           (SOUNDBITE) Ms. Chheang Synai (Factory Worker):

 “Most of the time I find that people who eat lunch near me are not healthy, some are anemic and most of them cause dizziness.”

–           (SOUNDBITE) Mr. Pav Sina (President of Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW)):

“To make this pilot success, it requires the participation of the buyers, because the buyers are committed to their ethics to improving the lives and health of workers, especially the good environment in the workplace. This is the most important part.”

–           (SOUNDBITE) Mr. Pav Sina (President of Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW)):

 “If this project is successful, I believe that the health of the workers will be better and if the health of the workers is better, the productivity will increase. If a factory has many workers fainting, then production problems will decrease. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to health issues, food issues and improvements for the future. I hope this project will be a success.”

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