Cambodian Unions Call for Doubling of Minimum Wage for Factory Workers

ថ្ងៃទី ២៦ ខែវិច្ឆិកា ឆ្នាំ២០១៣
វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី
ពលកម្ម / គោលនយោបាយ និងការគ្រប់គ្រងពលកម្ម / សុខភាពសាធារណៈ / ការអភិវឌ្ឍសង្គម / សហជីព
សហជីពសេរីកម្មករ / អែហ្វ ធី យូ / សមាគមរោងចក្រកាត់ដេរនៅកម្ពុជា / សមាគមរោងចក្រកាត់ដេរនិងស្បែកជើងនៅកម្ពុជា / ហ៊ុន សែន / ក្រសួងការងារ / Ministry of Labor labor conflict committee / Mom Nhim / សហព័ន្ធសហជីពនៃឧស្សាហកម្មវាយនភ័ណ្ឌកាត់ដេរកម្ពុជា / អ៊ិន អាយ អែហ្វ ធី យូ ស៊ី / ប្រាក់ ចាន់ធឿន / វ៉ាន ស៊ូឡេង

Four trade unions on Tuesday demanded that Cambodia’s garment and footwear manufacturers raise the minimum wage of their workers and provide them with additional benefits, threatening a nationwide strike and demonstrations if they do not comply. In a joint letter to the Van Sou Ieng, president of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), an employers’ organization, the unions called for nearly double the U.S. $80 per month minimum wage announced by the government in March, and which took effect two months later. “We are demanding an increase in the minimum wage to U.S. $154 [per month], as well as six additional workers’ benefits,” said the letter, which was signed by the unions, including the National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia (NIFTUC). The government has indicated that it would allow an increase in the minimum wage, but didn’t say by how much. “Even though we cannot say how much the wage would be raised, the government policy is that they will raise the wage in January 2014,” the Cambodia Daily quoted Prak Chanthoeun, director-general of the Labor Ministry’s labor conflict committee, as saying. … NIFTUC President Mom Nhim told RFA’s Khmer Service that the workers are preparing for the meeting as a way to “coordinate efforts on the minimum wage,” but said the unions would prefer to meet one on one with GMAC as a way to get to the heart of the issue. … Following a tripartite meeting between the government, unions, and GMAC in March, workers’ minimum wages earnings were raised from U.S. $61 to U.S. $73, plus an additional U.S. $5 as a form of health benefit. GMAC later agreed to add an additional U.S. $2 per month following a request by Prime Minister Hun Sen, bringing the total to U.S. $80. The increase of U.S. $19 per month in minimum wage represented only a U.S. $8 bump up from the GMAC’s position of U.S. $72 when negotiations opened at the end of February. The unions had originally demanded U.S. $120, but dropped down to U.S. $100 after one day of talks. … Cambodia’s 300,000 textile workers often work long shifts for little pay in the garment factories, trade unions complain. The garment industry is Cambodia’s third-largest currency earner.

 Radio free Asia
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/wages-11262013151923.html