SP&PFM Cambodia organized a training session on formalization (29 March) in Phnom Penh that aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of future social protection interventions and national dialogue on expanding social protection schemes and National Social Security Fund coverage for informal workers.
Speaker at Cambodia Training on formalization
The training was attended by 47 participants from 23 civil society organizations, trade unions and the Cambodia Social Protection for All Platform (SP4All). The main objectives were to identify enterprises and workers who are not covered by social security and the administrative barriers to enterprise formalization and to analyse sector-based information on the requirements for formalization. Participants heard different economic cases from a variety of countries for extending social security and country experience in the extension of social protection in Cambodia through formalization. The training was designed to ensure that the participants were ready to provide inputs and/or recommendations to the Government to consider extending social security coverage through the formalization of work.
Topics covered the definition of informality, how it is measured and analysing status in employment and social security gaps using the Labour Force Survey. The importance of social security extension was also analysed.
The participants discussed challenges and recommendations for the formalization of workers in particular sectors, such as agriculture workers and small-scale farmers, agri-food processing workers, restaurant workers, street vendors, domestic workers and retail sector workers (in supermarkets and small shops).
Recommendations included:
- Primary agriculture and small-scale farmers: The Government should create a contribution guideline for farmers, simplify the registration system and raise awareness about National Social Security Fund schemes.
- Agri-food processing workers: Workers should be allowed to organize unions, prepare a minimum rate of subscription and collective bargaining agreements and access occupational safety and health.
- Restaurant workers: Employers should register workers for National Social Security Fund schemes, comply with the labour laws and provide decent working conditions and wages. Workers should be allowed to organize unions, and the Government should conduct regular inspections.
- Street vendors: The Government should provide proper selling places and simplify National Social Security Fund registration.
- Domestic workers: Associations should be provided with an opportunity to organize domestic workers’ groups and unions for registering with the National Social Security Fund. The Government should require households who employ domestic workers to register them.
Retail sector workers: Employers should be required to register workers in National Social Security Fund schemes.
Learn more about SP&PFM in Cambodia here.