Another new commercial complex reaches for the sky
on a sweltering summer day in East Asia.
But this is not Seoul, Tokyo or Shanghai.
It’s Phnom Penh – the capital of Cambodia.
For years it’s been
one of the most commercially underdeveloped countries
of Southeast Asia.
Now foreign investment is robust.
But commercial development is outpacing that of public infrastructure
and until recently
there was no social insurance scheme for workers injured on the job.
Sav Pannop is among the thousands of Cambodian workers
who suffer debilitating workplace injuries each year.
He lost all sight in his left eye while repairing a machine at work.
“I was changing the blade on a machine that cuts ceramic tiles.
When I installed a new blade and tried to cut another tile,
the blade snapped into small pieces and flew into my eye...”
Pannop’s recovery and rehabilitation took weeks.
The costs for treatment were covered
by a state-administered compensation fund.
And, even though Pannop has returned to work,
the fund continues to provide a life-long disability benefit
payable each month.
In collaboration with the Cambodian government
and social partners,
the Employment Injury Insurance scheme was developed
with technical support from the International Labour Organization
and the Republic of Korea.
“The Government of Korea has selected Cambodia
as a core partner country in terms of development cooperation.
It is essential to have a public insurance system
to have a social safety net for the labour as a whole.
Therefore the Korean government wanted to have such a role in this country.”
The insurance scheme is financed through mandatory employer contributions
of just below 1% of a worker’s salary.
The National Social Security Fund or NSSF,
which administers the scheme,
is processing more than 12,000 claims annually.
The ILO-Korea Partnership Programme and the Korean institute COMWEL
continue to provide technical support.
“In the case of the employer-funded NSSF,
technical support was more important than financial contributions.
So the technical support and human resources
provided by the ILO-Korea partnership were vital in helping us introduce this scheme.”
The Fund also covers accidents and injuries suffered
by those on their way to and from work.
Vong Sreymom lost an arm in a road accident
while commuting to a job in a garment factory.
Now back at home,
recovering from the accident has proved difficult.
“I wanted to cry all the time – I was so shocked.
I couldn’t accept this injury.”
“Immediately after I left the hospital I was depressed.
It was difficult to do many things including daily chores
like washing my clothes.”
Vong Sreymom is now learning how to cope with her injury.
She is able to do light household work
– and is receiving a monthly disability benefit from the NSSF.
She too will receive it for the rest of her life.
Motor vehicle accidents are common in Cambodia
– especially those involving motorcycles.
Ang Sreng’s son was killed while commuting.
The accident happened just days before his planned wedding.
His father receives a survivor’s benefit.
“My son contributed to our family income.
When he died we had nothing.
Social workers directed me to the NSSF
and I filed a claim with them.
The survivor’s benefit has helped with our expenses and financial burden.
For that, I thank NSSF very much.”
“The ILO is the recognized authority in assisting countries
in designing and reforming social security programmes.
Through this partnership with the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labour
we have supported the Royal Government of Cambodia
in making the NSSF a reality for thousands of workers.”
The Cambodian authorities say the NSSF is going from strength to strength
and there are plans for the fund to expand into other areas
of social security such as a public health insurance scheme.
Cambodia’s commercial development might still be leading the way,
but social development is making a serious effort to close the gap.