Demand justice for Chung Fai workers in Cambodia
More than one year ago, on 1 July 2016, the 208 workers of the Chung Fai Knitwear Fty factory suddenly found themselves unemployed, without notice, without severance pay and without even receiving their final salaries for the previous month. Left in extremely dire situations, these workers, largely women, are still fighting for justice. As they stitched clothes for UK brands Marks and Spencer and Bonmarché, as well as the Canadian brand Nygård, they demand these brands take responsibility and ensure the legally due payments that their supplier failed to provide. While Bonmarché contacted its supplier, the other two brands flatly refuse any involvement. Take action now and call upon these brands to take responsibility. Read more in our press release. For a full overview of the facts you can check our case profile.
Call upon Marks and Spencer and Nygård to pay up to Chung Fai workers
Sign the labourstart petition here.
Address Marks and Spencer on social media:
On twitter: @marksandspencer, take responsibility for the women that stitch your clothes. Pay up to Chung Fai workers now. #ChungFaiWorkersDemandJustice
On Facebook: Hey Marks and Spencer's, when are you going to take responsibility for the Cambodian women that stitched your clothes? The workers of Chung Fai have the right to severance pay! #ChungFaiWorkersDemandJustice www.cleanclothes.org/Chung-Fai
Address Nygård on social media:
On Twitter: @PeterNygardPR, take responsibility for the women that stitch your clothes. Pay up to Chung Fai workers now! #ChungFaiWorkersDemandJustice
On Facebook: Hey Nygård, when are you going to take responsibility for the Cambodian women that stitched your clothes? The workers of Chung Fai have the right to severance pay! #ChungFaiWorkersDemandJustice www.cleanclothes.org/Chung-Fai
On your own timeline:
I stand with the women workers of Chung Fai. They should be paid what they are owed! #ChungFaiWorkersDemandJustice https://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=3500.
Download a visual to share here.
Listen to the voices from Cambodia: what happend since the Chung Fai factory closed without severance?
Chung Fai in the media
Newswire, 11 July 2017
Ecotextile, 11 July 2017
The Cambodia Daily, 13 July 2017
Toronto Star, 18 July 2017
The Cambodia Daily, 20 July 2017
Toronto Star, 23 July 2017
CBC, 10 August 2017
Sick, unemployed and left without 13-Year Severance
Thirty-seven-year-old Srem is from Takeo province and currently lives in Kandal province with her husband and two sons, aged 9 and 3, in a place provided for by her husband’s uncle. Srem is now sick and unemployed. Previosuly, Srem worked for Chung Fai Knitwear Fty, Ltd., a garment factory in Cambodia, producing for Canadian and UK brands, and her husband rode a motor-cart (Moto Romork), transporting peoples goods. Life was not so good, but, at least there were two sources of income. After more than 13 years with the factory, she was left devastated when it was suddenly closed and abandoned by its owner.
Without warning, Srem was unemployed and, due to her age, finds it impossible to find a job in a big factory. Her health has also been deteriorated, which means working in a small stuffy place, where she once could, is no long possible for her either. With only one small income, Srem’s family has been trying to be thrifty on their food, so that they can keep their nine-year-old son at school.
Srem blames her 13-years of work at Chung Fai for her poor health. However, could her health condition also be caused by poor nutrition? Srem just hopes her husband can keep her family’s stomachs filled without going into more debt.
Srem hopes her last wage and severance payment of around USD 2,700 owed by the factory will help ease her family during her unemployment and may also help her to have her own shelter. Srem and her colleagues have been tirelessly fighting for their lost wages and benefits, but, as of July 2017, no resolution has been found.
Pregnant, unemployed, in debt and left without severance
Born into a poor family in Phnom Penh, Phan (32) a mother of two, started working for Chung Fai Knitwear Fty Ltd. at a very young age. For the 15 years that she worked in this factory, Phan could just about make ends meet. Her husband earns a small income from transporting gasoline for people on his motorbike. Together, they could afford a rented room for their small family and Phan’s mother, who cannot work due to disability.
Therefore, Phan was left brokenhearted and devastated when Chung Fai was suddenly closed and abandoned by its owner on July 2, 2017. To her dismay, her employer fled 
Now, seven months into her pregnancy, Phan cannot find another job. Her husband’s income alone must cover room rent, family food, their eldest child’s education, and their debt. Their family had taken out a loan of USD 400 with compound interest to buy her husband a new motorbike so that he can earn more money. This USD 400 loan has now turned into USD 500.
Now that her delivery is approaching, Phan just hopes that the owner of the room will not chase her family out if they default in paying rent. Phan’s family is in financial distress and Phan has no confidence that her family will be able to pay off their debt of USD 500.
Phan’s only hope to avoid getting her family into even more serious debt is her last salary and severance payment for the last 15 years, which is around USD 2,700. Therefore, Phan and her colleagues have been tirelessly fighting for their lost wages and benefits.