Cambodian Internships with AIRC

An arbitrator and a senior administrator dealing with collective labour disputes in Cambodia have completed internships with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC).

Ms Ann Vireak, an arbitrator with the Cambodian Arbitration Council and Mr Sok Lor, Deputy Executive Director of the Arbitration Council Foundation, were attached to the Melbourne-based chambers of Commissioner Dominica Whelan and Senior Deputy President Brian Lacy respectively.

The internships ran for two weeks—from 2 June to 13 June 2008—and preceded a week-long visit to the AIRC in Melbourne by a delegation of arbitrators and legal advisers from the Cambodian Arbitration Council. The delegation observed the conduct of cases in the AIRC and received briefings from AIRC members and Australian Industrial Registry staff.

The Cambodian Arbitration Council was established in 2003. An independent body, its function is to resolve collective labour disputes that cannot be resolved by conciliation.

The AIRC has a particularly close relationship with the Arbitration Council. Since 2003, Commissioner Michael Gay has visited Cambodia several times to assist in the professional development of the Arbitration Council arbitrators and Ministry of Labour conciliators as well as to brief employer associations and unions.

Delegations from the Arbitration Council have been visiting the AIRC in Melbourne at least annually since 2004.

For more information go to the Arbitration Council’s website at www.arbitrationcouncil.org/eng_index.htm.