Work conflicts: Teachers and Caltex

[geovalin]

Benefits for teachers? Not yet

Tue, 20 May 2014

Laignee Barron and Mom Kunthear

The government has a response to teachers’ request for health insurance: We’ll provide it if you buy it.

At a meeting in Takeo province this past weekend, the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA) said an upcoming teacher strike would include health insurance on the list of demands in addition to the repeated call for a salary increase to $250 a month.

The Minister of Education yesterday suggested instead of striking for insurance, teachers could join a group plan through the ministry and pay $10 a month for coverage.

“We want teachers to have health insurance . . . and the ministry could implement it once a critical mass of teachers have signed up,” Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron said.

“We need to know what kind of coverage would best serve teachers and . . . assess whether enough teachers want to pay. We don’t want to force anyone to buy insurance.”

But teachers maintained yesterday that they can’t afford to part with 10 per cent of their salary every year for coverage they may not need.

“Ten dollars is too much money for teachers while their salary is so little. I think the ministry should have a card for every teacher to show up for free health care in every hospital,” Rong Chhun, president of CITA, said.

Cambodia lacks a nationwide health care scheme, though the government has previously said it will provide compulsory social health insurance to civil servants starting in 2015.

“We have a draft policy we’re waiting on the government to approve,” said Dr Sok Kanha, deputy director of the department of planning and health information at the Ministry of Health. “Cambodia and Myanmar are the last countries in the ASEAN to lack a plan to implement [universal health coverage].”

But realistically, scaling up insurance to cover the country’s more than 11,000 teachers would entail a huge boost in funding and be dependent on effective tax collection, she added.

+++++++++++++++++

Caltex strike deal doesn’t hold up

Tue, 20 May 2014

Phak Seangly and Sean Teehan

After Caltex managers allegedly reneged on an agreement to pay workers a $20 bonus to suspend a strike for two months, employees say they would only return if the deal is in writing.

In a Friday meeting, the Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation agreed with Caltex to suspend the strike for two months while the company reviews wages and pays workers the one-time bonus, said Sar Mora, the union’s leader.

Workers at 17 Phnom Penh branches walked off the job on May 12, demanding monthly salaries of at least $160 and an annual $160 bonus. All 18 locations in the capital are currently shut.

“On Friday, we agreed on the principle the company has proposed, that they will give a $20 bonus for waiting for two months,” Mora said.

That afternoon, Caltex human resources manager Heng Sovann told staff the company would not pay the bonus, said Yoeun Reth, 37, a Caltex staff member who attended both meetings.

“[sovann] said we misunderstood and that she did not offer the $20,” Reth said. “[but] we all heard it with our own ears.”

In turn, Caltex employees backed out of the agreement, pledging to return only if the Friday morning deal is put in writing, Reth said.

Sovann declined to comment on the issue yesterday.

After the disagreement, Caltex management tried to persuade employees to return to work on Saturday, despite failing to reach a compromise. Some workers came in on Saturday morning, but left after a few hours, he said.

“The company is fickle, not loyal to us and it does not have a clear stance to solve the problem,” Reth said. “It is not a good point that the company tried to lobby staff to return to work without finding a resolution.”

Representatives from the Food and Service Workers Federation, Caltex and the Ministry of Labour will meet again today to continue negotiations, Mora said yesterday.

If Caltex wants to successfully negotiate, they must take steps to earn employees’ trust, he added.

“If we reach a written agreement, we will go back to work.”

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/caltex-strike-deal-doesn%E2%80%99t-hold