Explore the problem and collect information
Garment workers rental rooms:
The International Financial crisis of the past 12 months has been the worst period in the last decade of the Cambodian garment sector. Workers commonly tell stories about the impact of short contracts, job insecurity, lowering wages and increasing food prices. Many factories have closed without information or proper compensation for workers and have resulted in significant job losses. Many go back to their homeland; some find jobs as beer promotion girls, waiters or even sex workers to survive. The factories that continue to operate ask workers to take up to 15 days unpaid leave or work for 50 percent of the wage.
Ice Land, Supremere, Super Tex, King Land, Sen Chov,
New Max, Sinomax (kk),Sport Wear, Tere Tex, Tack Fat,
Grant text, Ose Ong, Magalot1 workers have told similar stories:
I can not survive within salary, I need to borrow money for daily spending, I have nothing to send home. I came here because I am poor, Last month I got 70 US$, I do not know for sure how much I will get this month because of the lack of orders , so there is no over time. $5 for room rented which share with others, the food still high price , I live with messy room and lack of electricity. I send home $10 to $15 each month, But this month I can not, I earn less due to no overtime and sickness. (Makarlod Factory worker).
I never told my parent what happen to me in the factories. If they know they will worry. So when I got sick I need to borrow money for treatment. Before I sent home some money, but now I need to bring food from home and even money to spend ahead before the date of getting the wage (Super Tex factory worker).
My mother told me to go back home, she said I work for nothing. When I got sick my parent need to borrow money to cure me. But I do not want to go back home.... (Supremier factory worker).
I can not read and write, my family is so poor, and I have several siblings, so I decide to leave home to find a job in the factories to help my family. In contrast, it was not much help I can not sent home with this small wage, and I was blamed with bad word ( stupid) I always cry... I will stop working in the factory soon in the end of May because I work for nothing, I have no any shilling left, I will go to work with my uncle as a seller with 40$ per month in BattamBong province. Rolling factories worker.
Slum area visit
MB 7 member have out reach to Chamroeun community, Sleng Village, ChbaAmpov II Meanchey Districk, Phnom Penh out skirt where many poor people live.
There are 313 families live in community, and 128 homeless. They need to rent the land to live around 0.5 $ per day, 0.75$ per 1... for water, 0.37$ per 1 kw for electricit cost. Most of them are wast picker, some work in the textile factories, waiters in restaurant, construction worker, motor bike drivers .There are 600 children under 18 live in this community. Support by Wast and Hope Organization, 6 children could go to school, but now they all quit their school. Because they have no money, they need to be the breadwinner in the families. The Basic need in this community was look over.
Provincial Visits
MB has gained popularity through their Provincial visits. Through folk songs, people in the villagers show their interest and support. As well as information collected about the farmers situation, chemical pesticides, new seed, debt and family violence, the Band has also gained popularity by spreading messages about the villager's daughters' stories.
Stories in Prey Veng province
It is hard to survive. young girls migrant to PP to find a job as factory workers , young man work as construction worker and motor taxi. In the village people raise pigs, It cause a lot some of them have enough money to pay for input some have to borrow the money from micro credit and from money lender. Some said they spend much on animal food so it left only a small profit and some time they lose the capital around 50000 Rieal of capita. Farmer said their rice field was damage by insect call Momiech T'not , farmer can not control them even using the chemical spry, Commune chief said some of them who can not pay back the debt leave home town to avoid responsibility. Any way Chemical fertilizer is so expensive now, the quality one is 280000Reail per 50 Kg.
In this village young people leave home to find the work in the city and many people fall indebt. One women in the village said :
"my daughter used to work in the factory for several year now she is very ill because of chemical in the factory now I do not allow her to work any more , it was very hard job and earn very little. Take with money lender : I am the money lender in this village , the interest rate is 3 percent as the credit program but without land title and punishment , I lend maximum 100000 Reil. "
Simlilar stories in Kandal province
In this Commune most people are farmers. Young people leave for Phnom Penh to work as construction workers, factories workers. The main problem is farming. Event though they have enough water to do the farm but they face with Crab, Momaech Thnot. And the price of Chemical fertilizer was high. Recently private company advertise the new brand of fertilizer call CPA to the villager, they only tell the complicated process how to use it but never tell the impact of it that effect to the health.
One man said the cause of violent is alcohol, but Only few family have committed violent now. More people need micro credit . They have no choice.
Some garment workers who visit their family at weekend told MB about their working condition like lean system, this system make the workers complaint to each other because some who work slow make the other lose their profit. MB also introduce them to know DIC. They want DIC to be near their living place easy for them to assess.
stories in Takeo
The stories in takoe is not varies from both province above.
One more separate stories, MB participated with WNU to learn about the living conditions of venerable women sex workers in Takeo Province. Visited 6 brothels and talked with 22 sex workers. sex workers were forced to hide from the public and forbidden to carry condoms due to threats of Suppression of Human trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Law. They come from poor families, many have been exploited and abused by clients and they now earn less than prior to the introduction and enforcement of this.
Report 2008-2009
