Phnom Penh: On the morning of April 26, 2026, His Excellency President Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, presided over a meeting with leaders of professional organizations and informal economy associations on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of International Workers’ Day on May 1, 2026 under the theme “Together to Build Resilience for Decent Work” at the Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Center, which was attended by more than 5,000 participants, from the largest grassroots unions to more than 1,300 unions, leaders of 186 union federations, as well as employers’ associations, informal economy associations and other associations, including academic staff associations.
Speaking at the ceremony, the King said that the celebration of International Labor Day on May 1 this year is a continuation of the noble tradition of the “National Labor Day” to commemorate the struggle for the cause of promoting the rights, freedom, and dignity of workers and employees. In this spirit, the theme “Building Resilience Together for Decent Work” for 2026 truly reflects the reality and commitment of the Royal Government to further develop the labor, social security, and vocational training sectors.
Despite facing global crises caused by geopolitical conflicts, energy crises, and the fragmentation of the global economy that disrupts international trade, especially despite the violation of national sovereignty that forced former Cambodian workers living and working in Thailand to return in a violent manner, and left behind a tragedy for the lives of soldiers and innocent civilians and caused more than 600,000 refugees, the Royal Government has always maintained a strong stance in protecting peace, stability and the national interest at large.
With the facilitation of investment opportunities and job creation, the Royal Government has continued to strive to promote the harmonization and freedom of professional organizations, national laws, and international labor standards that Cambodia has ratified. In fact, as of the first quarter of 2026, 6,920 professional organizations were registered, including 43 union confederations, 285 union federations, 6,579 grassroots unions, and 13 employers’ associations. In particular, the labor dispute resolution mechanism was implemented more effectively and better at both the ministerial and arbitration council levels in the first quarter of 2026, achieving a high settlement rate of 97.92%, which reflects the maturity of professional relations and stability in the production chain.
Seizing the opportunity The King emphasized that job creation in Cambodia must be based on a fundamental approach of both quality and quantity. In this spirit, to further direct the work more effectively, His Majesty has issued five key recommendations to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training to ensure the promotion of the rights, interests and dignity of workers.
At the same time, His Majesty called on workers and all relevant parties to continue their efforts wholeheartedly. and physical strength with determination and enthusiasm for their work and must consider enterprises and institutions as “their home” in accordance with the meaningful words that Samdech Techo had said in the past.
The Minister informed the President and the delegation about the progress of the ministry’s important work, especially the implementation of the President’s 10-point recommendations and cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO), a key partner in jointly promoting the implementation of the “Decent Work Program for Cambodia” for more than two decades since 2005, which has so far gone through six phases and has increased the resilience and productivity of the Cambodian workforce.
In this happy atmosphere, His Majesty also invited as a high honor The second “One Enterprise is One Peaceful Community” award was presented to 55 enterprises that correctly met all 8 compliance criteria of the competition. This included 27 gold medal winners, 18 silver medal winners, and 10 bronze medal winners. It is also worth noting that for the second year of this competition, a total of 182 factories, enterprises and companies participated.
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