Labour Minister Heng Sour urged informal workers to move into formal factory jobs and training to access social security and labor rights.
Workers in Cambodia’s informal economy are being encouraged to take up more than 90,000 formal sector job opportunities in factories and other large enterprises in order to gain better access to social security benefits.. Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour offered the suggestion, during a May 11 celebrations of International Workers’ Day.. Themed “Together Promoting Decent Work in the Digital Context for Informal Economy Workers”, the event highlighted the important contribution informal workers
make to Cambodia’s economic growth and food security, while also drawing attention to the challenges they face in the digital era and the urgent need for stronger social protection and labour rights.. Informal economy workers include street vendors, food delivery workers, domestic workers, small-scale farmers and waste pickers.. The event brought together more than 250 participants; including street vendors, informal workers, civil society groups, unions, development partners and government institutions.. Sour noted that the commemoration
served as a reminder to policymakers, institutions, development partners and civil society organisations of fundamental labour rights and the conditions needed to ensure workers receive fair benefits in society.. The Cambodian government has implemented the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), covering work-related accidents, healthcare and pension schemes, creating what the minister described as a “strong social safety net” for workers.. As the NSSF continues to expand, Sour said the broader goal is to help workers
in the informal economy transition into the formal sector so they can receive the benefits provided by the government.. Informal workers wishing to work in factories or enrol in technical training programmes were encouraged to contact the Labor Ministry hotline at 1297.. In addition, tuk-tuk drivers seeking additional income opportunities can contact the ministry’s Industrial Technical Institute to receive training in modifying their vehicles to carry the tools required to offer as air-conditioner cleaning and
maintenance services.. Students who dropped out of school can also upskill, through the ministry’s free TVET programmes, which target 1.5 million trainees, which includes financial support.. Oxfam described informal workers as the “backbone of the national workforce”, noting that their numbers now include returning migrant workers, reduced risky migration and creating jobs nationwide.. However, Oxfam noted that many informal workers still face occupational health and safety risks and limited access to social protection.. Oxfam Cambodia
country director Phean Sophoan said informal workers are a vital driving force of Cambodia’s economy.. “This International Labour Day is not only a commemoration but also a call to action to ensure that digital transformation and social protection policies include and empower informal economy workers,” she said.. Vorn Pao, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association, said informal workers must not be left behind during the digital transition and their rights, safety and
occupational health protections must be fully guaranteed in line with global changes.. “We need policies that ensure informal workers have equal protections and rights.. We ask the Cambodian government to prioritise protections for delivery workers by expanding social protection, clarifying their legal status and ensuring fair working conditions,” he said.. A Phnom Penh street vendor named Sokha commented that informal workers labour every day to support their families, but without proper healthcare protection, accidents or
illness can result in lost income and serious hardship for entire households.. An Oxfam statement noted that the Cambodian government has introduced a number of measures, including expanding social security coverage, providing healthcare equity cards, cash assistance programmes and digital registration platforms to connect workers with social security services, skills development and vocational training opportunities.. While these initiatives represent important progress, challenges remain, including a lack of childcare facilities, rising living costs, limited digital literacy
and insufficient research on the informal workforce, particularly in Phnom Penh.
informal economy workers, factory jobs Cambodia, National Social Security Fund, labor rights, TVET training, Oxfam Cambodia