Phnom Penh: Joining a trade union is highly beneficial for workers. It strengthens their local unions, giving them greater collective power to negotiate improved working conditions. At the same time, workers retain the full and absolute right to leave a union at any time without facing any form of coercion.
Workers enjoy the fundamental right to freely join or withdraw from a trade union without coercion, intimidation, or threats. This right is firmly grounded in numerous international human rights instruments and national labour laws, which uphold the principle of freedom of association for workers.
By organizing and participating in unions, workers gain the ability to bargain collectively, thereby securing better and safer working conditions as well as fairer treatment overall.
Any interference by employers or third parties—whether to compel workers to join a union or to prevent them from leaving—constitutes a violation of these fundamental rights and is generally prohibited by law. Such legal protections guarantee that workers can exercise their rights voluntarily, thereby reinforcing workplace democracy and advancing social justice.
Collective action through unions remains essential for defending workers’ shared interests. Workers are shielded from coercion, discrimination, or retaliation linked to their union involvement or membership status. They alone have the freedom to decide whether to participate in union activities or to withdraw whenever they choose.
Workers not only have the right to join a union but also the unequivocal right to resign or withdraw their membership without penalty or pressure. This principle of non-coercion extends to prohibiting punitive measures by employers or even union officials who might attempt to pressure workers into retaining membership.
Laws typically require unions themselves to honour these individual choices, acknowledging that union membership must remain a genuinely voluntary commitment. This balance preserves the democratic character of the trade-union movement, ensuring it rests on authentic consent rather than compulsion or intimidation.
Union membership delivers significant advantages, including stronger collective bargaining power, higher wages, greater job security, and robust protection against unfair dismissal. Unions further offer grievance procedures and legal assistance to members facing workplace injustice.
