News
Unions want full payment for garment workers
Unions are calling for garment factory owners to pay full wages to their employees for the lockdown period but the Labour Ministry says there is no law to state that employers must do so. ...
Khmer Times Staff
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50865048/unions-want-full-payment-for-garment-workers/
PM calls for halt to ‘illegal’ protests
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday called on labour unions to immediately stop organising demonstrations and strikes to “illegally” demand benefits from factory owners. He said such actions could spin out of hand and force around two-thirds of the Kingdom’s factories, approximately 800 of the ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-calls-halt-illegal-protests
Union claims casino labour abuse
The Collective Union of Movement of Workers has sent a letter to the Ministry of Labour seeking intervention over abusive working conditions for staffers at a casino in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town. ...
Sen David
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5099378/union-claims-casino-labour-abuse/
Campaign decries short contracts
Nearly 1,000 workers from the Collective Union of Movement of Workers on Saturday kicked off a campaign to demand government intervention to end short-term contracts being peddled to a majority of garment workers. ...
Sen David
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085121/campaign-decries-short-contracts/
Ministry pushes fortnightly pay
The Labor Ministry is encouraging employers, with the support of unions, to implement article 116 of the Labor Law, which requires owners of enterprises and factories to pay their workers twice a month. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36951/ministry-pushes-fortnightly-pay/
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/
Don’t increase garment workers’ rent, says pm
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday urged landlords not to indiscriminately increase the price of rent in light of the upcoming hike in the wages of garment workers next year. Speaking at the inauguration of the Coca-Cola factory in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone, the ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/32799/don---t-increase--garment-workers-----rent--says-pm/
Unions, GMAC at the table
Employer representatives and trade unions sat down across from each other for the first time yesterday for head-to-head negotiations over next year’s garment sector minimum wage, with factory owners reluctantly offering a small $2 increase to their earlier proposal of $144.20. ...
Lay Samean and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/unions-gmac-table
Unions tout ‘living wage’ ahead of minimum wage talks
Unions meeting on Friday arrived at an estimated cost-of-living salary for garment workers ahead of minimum wage talks, one remarkably similar to the monthly wage they’ve demanded two years running, though suggested the final number they push for will be higher. ...
Sen David and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/unions-tout-living-wage-ahead-minimum-wage-talks
Workers in the dark on controversial draft union law
With the National Assembly set to vote on whether to adopt the controversial trade union law on Monday, the majority of Cambodia’s industrial workers remain unaware of the crossroads at which Cambodia’s employers and workers stand. ...
Ananth Baliga, Sen David and Daniel de Carteret
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/workers-dark-controversial-draft-union-law
Hundreds pray for release of unionists
Hundreds of workers from the Agile Sweater factory in Kampong Speu province gathered in front of the provincial court yesterday, praying for authorities to release five unionists arrested at the factory on Tuesday. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hundreds-pray-release-unionists
Cambodian garment factory workers demonstrate for subsidies
At least 500 workers from three garment factories in Cambodia demonstrated on Tuesday outside the Labor Ministry in the capital Phnom Penh, demanding that government officials intervene in their quest for better working conditions and food and transportation subsidies. ...
Government announces start of garment sector wage talks
The Labor Ministry on Friday announced that formal negotiations to set a new minimum wage for the country’s all-important garment sector—now at $128 a month—will begin in July, reviving the same schedule for talks it used with unions and employers for the first time last ...
Mech Dara
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-announces-start-of-garment-sector-wage-talks-85550/
Ministry hits back over Union law
The Ministry of Labor issued a statement Friday claiming that the controversial draft Trade Union Law is aimed at protecting the rights of workers, after unions announced they would write to the ministry, the National Assembly and the European Union next week calling for the ...
Mech Dara
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-hits-back-over-union-law-84636/
Factory to reopen after mass faintings
A garment factory in Svay Rieng province where more than 100 workers fainted in recent days invited six monks to drive out the building’s “bad spirits” on Tuesday and will reopen on Wednesday after agreeing to improve the facility’s ventilation. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/factory-to-reopen-after-mass-faintings-78169/
Authorities warn union leader
Police on Friday warned labour union leader Pav Sina that if he continues to lead protests – thereby violating the rules of a court order – he will be arrested. The Collective Union of Movement of Workers leader was called to the Choam Chao commune police ...
Mom Kunthear
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/authorities-warn-union-leader
Most are OK with the new wage, not all
After meeting with members, several labour union leaders yesterday said that they will not hold protests against the government-set garment industry minimum wage for 2015. Minister of Labour Ith Sam Heng last week approved $128 as 2015’s minimum monthly wage in Cambodia’s garment sector. The increase, ...
Mom Kunthear
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/most-are-ok-new-wage-not-all
Garment union will not protest wage
One of Cambodia’s most prominent garment worker unions, which had battled for a $140 minimum monthly wage in the sector, has decided not to hold street protests against the $128 figure decided by the government on Wednesday. ...
Chhay Channyda
http://phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/garment-union-will-not-protest-wage
No boycott: Union meet could decide wage today
Independent labour unions will take part in the Ministry of Labour’s Labour Advisory Committee (LAC) meeting today, possibly making their decision on next year’s minimum wage in Cambodia’s garment sector. NIFTUC and the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) considered boycotting the LAC ...
Sean Teehan
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/no-boycott-union-meet-could-decide-wage-today
Garment wage talks fall apart
The tripartite working group set up to negotiate and advise the Ministry of Labour’s Labour Advisory Committee (LAC) on next year’s minimum wage in Cambodia’s garment sector has stopped meeting after reaching a stalemate. Made up of 27 members – nine each from employers, the government ...
Sean Teehan and Mom Kunthear
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/garment-wage-talks-fall-apart
Wage talks remain in deadlock
The third day of negotiations between members of a working group trying to reach a consensus on the minimum monthly garment wage remained stagnant yesterday, as manufacturers refused to budge from their $110 offer. ...
Mom Kunthear and Sean Teehan
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/wage-talks-remain-deadlock
Factory OKs only part of pay advance
About 600 employees of a Phnom Penh garment factory were to return to work today after walking out with the demand of receiving their salaries before next month’s Water Festival. Ginwin Industry (Cambodia) Co yesterday agreed to pay workers a portion of their wages ahead of ...
Mom Kunthear
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/factory-oks-only-part-pay-advance
Garment factories, unions edge closer to wage deal
Some of the unions that have been demanding a hefty $77 raise to the current monthly minimum wage of $100 for the country’s garment workers said Thursday they were willing to go as low as a $35 increase, though others refused to budge. ...
Mech Dara and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/garment-factories-unions-edge-closer-to-wage-deal-70154/
No breakthrough in new talks for Cambodian minimum wage increase
Cambodian authorities have held two rounds of talks with garment factory owners and unions under a new mechanism to help break a deadlock over increasing the workers’ monthly minimum wage but to no avail. But Labor Minister Ith Sam Heng said that he expected the Garment ...
Roseanne Gerin
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/working-group-10162014181856.html