PHNOM PENH – A Cambodian minister has looked to play down garment worker concerns that they’re susceptible to contracting the coronavirus upon returning to work, insisting “there are no outsiders”, and that the people they will likely come into the closest contact with are only colleagues that are also frequently tested for symptoms.
From hitched rides on flatbed trucks to the factory floor, staff cannot be assured that social distancing mechanisms – now deployed worldwide to mitigate the spread of the contagion – will be respected.
Whilst labour ministry spokesperson Heng Sour has tried to alleviate fears that any floundering of the rules will only be between workers, native trade unions have lambasted Sour’s views and says it puts garment factory staff at an unnecessary risk.
