Working conditions in Cambodian factories

A few days ago the Norwegian media reported that 236 workers passed out at an H&M factory in Cambodia. Hennes & Mauritz is a Swedish retail-clothing company with stores all over the world, and the majority of its products are made in Asia. The mass fainting was the third time in four months that similar events have happened in factories that produce their clothing. An H&M spokesperson says that they do care about the garment workers, but that there has not been found any reason for the mass faintings in any of the factories.

Women getting medical attention after passing out at work. (Photo from NRK)


H&M made a profit of about 500 million dollars from the past three months alone, while the Cambodian garment workers get a meager $60 per month. The textile industry is now the country's biggest income source, and it employs 400 000 people. Workers from factories all over Cambodia have arranged protest rallies to object to their poor working conditions.

Textile workers protesting against bad working conditions in September 2010. During this rally, 5 workers were killed after clashing with the police. (Photo from NRK)

In September BBC reported that 1500 workers had fainted so far this year in different factories in Cambodia. It is an ongoing debate how much responsibility Norwegian companies should take regarding the working conditions in factories around the world. Telenor, a Norwegian company and one of the largest mobile phone operators in the world, got a lot of critisism after the death of a factory worker in Bangladesh in 2008. The 22 year old employee fell into a tank of boling water, and died. His family, who had lost their only bread winner, got about $3000 as a compensation for their son and brother. In return they had to sign a waver saying that they wouldn't sue Telenor.