About 6,000 Cambodian garment workers will return to work after their company agreed to withdraw a huge dismissal order for employees. After discussions with owners of the Singapore-owned SL Garment Processing Factory, workers will now return to work. But, despite the agreement, workers still have demands, including increased wages, improved working conditions and better health and safety standards. 

The union says workers were being intimidated by armed military police who regularly inspect the factory. In July, a report from the International Labor Organisation said conditions for garment factory workers in Cambodia are declining. Inspection of 158 factories revealed that areas where things could be improved are: child labor, fire safety and workers' health.

The death of two factory workers in Cambodia in May raised the pressure to improve the record. The garment industry provides 6,50,000 jobs in Cambodia but safety needs to be improved. Since the country's elections in July, the government is investing more time into issues like workers’ conditions. It has agreed to help set up a committee for increased salaries.