Manufacturers Raise Garment Workers’ Pay
Manufacturers in Cambodia yesterday agreed to increase the monthly wage of garment workers by $7 per month by providing them with additional allowances for transportation and housing, bringing the minimum wage packet taken home every month to $73. The raise occurred as the number of strikes being held in the country is increasing and as workers are progressively turning to more violent means of demonstrating in order to express their grievances with low pay and poor working conditions. Garment workers currently receive a $61 per month minimum wage and in November were granted a $5 monthly increase to cover health costs. At a meeting between manufacturers, officials and union representatives at the Ministry of Labor yesterday it was agreed upon to add $7 per month to the monthly wage bill for housing and transportation costs, said Nang Sothy, vice chairman of the Labor Advisory Council (LAC). …
