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CITA
employs the following strategies to promote and protect
the rights of teachers in Cambodia:
1.
Advocacy and Awareness
CITA
aims to influence education policy through:
- Correspondence
with the Royal Government of Cambodia: Hundreds
of letters have been sent outlining the issues faced
by teachers.
- International
Partnerships: CITA has cultivated relationships
with Governments, Unions and NGOs across the world,
so that together they can apply diplomatic pressure
of the Royal Government of Cambodia to improve education
policy. A particularly strong relationship exists
between CITA and Education International (www.ei-ie.org).
- Lectures:
The President of CITA has addressed delegations
on human rights issues in Cambodia , Japan (2004),
Vietnam (2006), the USA (2007), and the UK (2009).
- Media:
The President of CITA frequently appears
in newspaper articles and on the radio.
- Protests:
CITA organizes rallies to draw attention to the
plight of teachers (for example, on World Teachers
Day).
2.
Member Support
CITA
provides a safe and confidential forum for teachers
to turn to at times of need. Typically, the President
of CITA (along with other representatives) will speak
with members on a daily basis either by phone or at
an in-person meetings. Teachers approach CITA
to discuss specific issues they are facing in schools
and look for guidance on their resolution. CITA
most commonly supports members through writing letters
to the Royal Government of Cambodia, NGOs, foreign Governments
and other interested parties explaining the teacher's
circumstance (while maintaining appropriate confidentiality)
and outlining a proposed resolution to the issue.
Hundreds of such letters have been written by CITA over
the last ten years.
3.
Training and Newsletters
CITA
has provided hundreds of hours of training and multiple
informative newsletters to teachers across Cambodia
on human and legal rights issues, leadership training,
and the benefits of an organized labor force.
These training are needed to address the fundamental
lack of knowledge among teachers regarding their rights,
such that they will not necessarily recognize situations
in the workplace that are unlawful. The non-existence
of contracts setting out employment conditions means
that there is no comprehensive way to communicate to
teachers what should be expected from employers. Through
trainings and newsletters, CITA aims to address this
knowledge gap.
4.
Campaigning to Increase Membership to over 70% of Cambodian
Teachers
CITA
representatives regularly visit provinces across Cambodia
to provide information to teachers on the benefits of
membership. Increased membership is a key priority,
as this will put CITA in an improved negotiating position
in dealings with the Royal Government of Cambodia (for
example, to make strike or other sanctions a credible
bargaining tool). |
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