Manufacturing
Garments and textiles
Labour minister praises robust garment sector growth
Cambodia’s minister of labour applauded the strong growth and employment levels for the garment and footwear sector yesterday, though industry representatives noted a slight slowdown due to increased competition from regional players. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/labour-minister-praises-robust-garment-sector-growth
Japan pledges to boost silk industry
A Japanese beauty company is to invest in Cambodian silk production to supply the local market and export to Asia and the United States. Il Brille, which runs two beauty salons and a shop in Phnom Penh, uses silk in cosmetic treatments and products for customers. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/37173/japan-pledges-to-boost-silk-industry/
GTI growth from higher orders and lower costs
Taiwanese-owner garment manufacturer Grand Twins International (GTI), which posted a 44 percent surge in revenue and a massive 390 percent in net profit last year, attributed the surge to an increase in orders and the decrease of raw material costs, administration costs and total commissions, ...
The Phnom Penh Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/gti-growth-higher-orders-and-lower-costs
Factories told to cool off for hot season
According to the official announcement, manufacturers in the textile, garment and footwear industry must do more to stop employees from fainting and suffering ill health as a result of working under excessive temperatures. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36898/factories-told-to-cool-off-for-hot-season/
Silk weavers find it tough
Today, mulberry trees are a rarity in Cambodia – most of them having been destroyed during the Khmer Rouge era – and silk weavers in Phnom Penh’s main silk producing area in Koh Dach, an island on the Mekong river, have no choice but to ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36568/silk-weavers-find-it-tough/
Employers seek delay in garment pay reform
Plans to pay garment workers twice a month will be difficult for employers to implement, industry representatives have warned. The Labor Ministry is amending laws so companies will be required to pay staff twice a month, in a bid to protect workers from being abandoned by ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36429/employers-seek-delay-in-garment--pay-reform/
Pay protest amid fears owners skipped town
More than 600 workers from the capital’s Bodykids Fashion Wear factory protested on Friday and Saturday after management failed to pay them their February wages. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pay-protest-amid-fears-owners-skipped-town
Decline in labor complaints compared with last year
Labor dispute complaints in the garment and textile sector declined last year compared with 2015, according to the Arbitration Council, which attributed the drop to the Trade Union Law. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35923/decline-in-labor-complaints-compared-with-last-year/
Equipment sale ordered to pay wages
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has issued a warrant for the temporary seizure of Top World Garment Cambodia Ltd’s property in order to get the employer to appear and find a solution for workers still owed their December salaries. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/equipment-sale-ordered-pay-wages
Cambodian exports to US down
Cambodia’s total exports to the United States declined last year compared with 2015, due to uncertainties in the US presidential race and rising exports from Vietnam and new market player Myanmar. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35260/cambodian-exports-to-us-down/
Court taxes unemployed workers
About 100 workers from the Chung Fai Knitwear factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district protested in front of the capital’s municipal court yesterday, demanding a judge remove a fee they are unable to pay. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35171/court-taxes-unemployed-workers/
Minister plans railway for workers
The Labor Ministry is considering constructing a railway line connecting Phnom Penh and select provinces to special economic zones (SEZ) or industrial areas in response to the high number of road accidents involving commuting workers. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/34978/minister-plans-railway-for-workers/
ILO warns of Brexit threat to garments
Cambodia’s critical garment export sector could face major risks in both the short and long term from the U.K.’s surprise vote last year to exit the E.U., the International Labor Organization (ILO) has warned. ...
Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/ilo-warns-of-brexit-threatto-garments-123535/
Garment workers continue protest
Nearly 1,700 garment factory workers in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town entered day five of their protest yesterday against a factory over wage cuts as well as allegations that the factory was responsible for the assault of a union representative. Protestors accused Lu Thai (Cambodia) of ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/33115/garment-workers-continue-protest/
Advocates, employers tussle over compliance
Local garment sector stakeholders failed to find common ground at a meeting on supply chain safety protocols, with the government and employers expressing reluctance to take on an additional level of responsibility. ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/advocates-employers-tussle-over-compliance
Preah Sihanouk factories close
Two garment and textile factories in Preah Sihanouk province have signaled their insolvency, and called on creditors to file for compensation with their administrators before Monday. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31366/preah-sihanouk-factories-close/
Government, labor body cement ties
Because of improved working conditions in garment and footwear factories across the Kingdom, the government yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to continue implementing the Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) program for three more years. During a celebration commemorating the 15th anniversary of BFC, Labor Minister ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30981/government--labor-body-cement-ties/
Unions decry minimum wage rise of $13
Unions are still seething at the new minimum wage figure for garment and footwear industry workers – which the government decided to raise by only $13 per month last Thursday – but stopped short of saying they would organize protests out of a fear for ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30312/unions-decry-minimum-wage-rise-of--13/
Local factories pump out $5.3B in products
Cambodian factories manufactured industrial products worth $5.3 billion during the first seven months of 2016, according to data released yesterday by the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/local-factories-pump-out-53b-products
GSP exemption pitched
A roadshow to Hong Kong this week to pitch Cambodia’s newly received duty-free access on travel goods to the US market was successful, but manufacturers have yet to sign concrete deals to establish new production lines here, a delegate of the returning business mission said. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/gsp-exemption-pitched
Unions budge from $180 wage
Unions decided to lower their demand for $179.60 per month as the new minimum wage for the garment, footwear and textile industries in 2017, telling employers yesterday that they were dropping the figure by $2 – matching the $2 employers added to their figure earlier ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29840/unions-budge-from--180-wage/
Fleeing factory owners to pay
The Ministry of Labor is preparing to enact regulations that would provide some amount of monetary relief to workers left in the lurch by factory owners who flee the country. The widespread practice has led to a number of months-long protests as more and more factory ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29438/fleeing-factory-owners-to-pay/
Garment factories close amid political uncertainty
Political uncertainty in Cambodia has forced the garment and footwear industry to look to alternative countries to meet production needs, forcing more than 70 factories to close and a sharp drop in orders, a senior official from the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) said ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28810/garment-factories--close-amid-political-uncertainty/
Garment factories to buy into automation
Investors in Cambodia’s garment industry are increasingly purchasing modern equipment as they look to produce higher value-added products to compete in the international market and counter rising labour costs, an industry insider said yesterday. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/garment-factories-buy-automation