Having spent a decade working in the entertainment industry, Chheng Kimyan knows all too well the risks involved. Now, she is empowering her union members to be aware of the benefits of signing up to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the protection it can offer.

Trade union activist, Chheng Kimyan, has worked in the entertainment industry for 10 years. During this time, she has faced many challenges, from drinking alcohol with clients to a dangerous night commute home.

Determined to increase safety and support for her peers, she currently received support from the FIRST project implemented by Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation (CFSWF) and Oxfam. It focuses on sharing knowledge about labour rights and raising awareness about the importance of social protection, as well as protecting workers’ interests.

Before joining the union, Kimyan worked in the entertainment industry where her role was promoting beer brand, Cambodia Brewery Limited. She worked in the sector for about 10 years, from 2005 to 2014.

Kimyan said her workplace did not provide membership to the NSSF. This meant that when she got injured at work, the company did not cover the cost of her treatment.

Working in the entertainment industry, Kimyan is vulnerable to many risks because it requires her to drink with clients and commute late at night. “Sometimes, we fall off our motorbikes and have to cover the expenses for medical treatment ourselves,” she said.

In 2014, she first heard about social protection. “If a worker is injured while working, it is the company’s responsibility to cover the expenses for medical treatment. However, I did not have much knowledge about social protection.

“That is why I decided to join CFSWF, a union working on social protection issues,” Kimyan said, adding that she started her journey helping workers protect their interests as a volunteer. By 2022, she had received training under the FIRST project about social protection. This allowed her to share her knowledge with others, particularly women working in the entertainment and beer industries.

“By participating in the training, we realized that as workers, we have some rights at the workplace which we are legally able to demand from the company,” she said. Upon this realization, Kimyan was motivated to work for the union. “After I attended training, I shared the lessons about social protection with members of the union.
“As an employee, we have the right to receive health insurance covered by the employers. After we demanded additional benefits at the workplace, including coverage of health and injury, the employers asked us to fill in an application to be a member of NSSF. However, this success does not come without challenges.”  

Employers registered some workers as members of the NSSF around 2013. At first, it was difficult to demand health and injury coverage from the company. In addition to the expense the company has to cover, employers are reluctant to provide some information for the NSSF.

“Employers do not want to register their employees to be members of NSSF because doing so requires the company to provide details about finance and sales. Employers do not want to disclose such information,” Kimyan said.

Despite this, Kimyan played an instrumental role in achieving NSSF membership for many of her peers, even though it took three years.

Kimyan added that authorities are often unhelpful with demanding companies deliver NSSF membership. She said that at that time registration for NSSF membership was not common in the entertainment and beer industries because they fall under the informal economy. 

““People discriminate against us as we work in the beer and entertainment industries, while encouraging workers to join a union that works to protect their interests. I want the government to stop perceiving a union as a rebellious movement because we work to prevent workers from being exploited and ensure their labour rights are protected.” ”

Kimyan

Kimyan works to make sure that workers can access ID Poor Cards and NSSF membership. She said that some people who work in the entertainment industry get the ID Poor Card, but others have not received it yet.

Kimyan wants organizations and the government to help people working in the entertainment industry access ID Poor Cards and NSSF membership. She also wants the government to ensure that all companies provide NSSF memberships to their employees.

“Additionally, I do not want to see people working in the entertainment industry being excluded from the formal economy, because they are vulnerable due to their working conditions.”