Union Bashes Wage Hike, Ponders National Strike

The Free Trade Union (FTU) is unhappy with the size of the raise agreed to this week by manufacturers for garment workers and said it would meet next week to decide whether to hold a nationwide strike in August for a larger increase, said FTU president Chea Mony. At the Ministry of Labor on Wednesday, the government and manufacturers agreed with seven union leaders to provide an extra $7 per month in allowances for transportation and housing, bringing the minimum monthly wage to $73. An additional $3 will also be added to the $7 increase that workers already take home each month for full monthly attendance. ...