Raises pending, prices soaring
Since Minister of Labour Ith Sam Heng announced in late-December that the ministry would hike the minimum monthly wage for the garment sector to $100, Nuch Sdoeung has, at times, questioned if he could even afford beef. … The wage boost from the prior minimum wage of $80 – which includes a $5 health bonus – went into effect on February 1, Labour Ministry spokesman Heng Sour said in a text message yesterday. But garment workers will not be paid February’s wages until next month. In the interim, they endure the price escalation without enjoying pay gains. The recent $20 minimum wage increase stands apart from previous raises in industry pay, due to the nationwide strike – which authorities violently quashed in early January – it sparked when union groups demanded $160. However, the problem of price gouging in areas where workers live once a pay increase is announced is longstanding, said Dave Welsh, country director for labour rights group Solidarity Center. …
Sean Teehan and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/raises-pending-prices-soaring
