Unions, opposition ‘hindering wage talks’
Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng and ministry spokesman Heng Sour yesterday accused unions and the opposition of derailing the government’s efforts at minimum wage reform by striking and stirring up violence for their own political gain. “The government has set up a committee to study the minimum garment wage as a way of continually working to increase it, but the opposition party and some unions are using the result of our findings to demonstrate for their own political benefit and encourage violence,” Sam Heng said at the launch of the ministry’s 2013 annual report. As the threat of another mass garment worker strike looms – and calls for the release of 21 union activists and workers arrested last month grow louder – Sour said protests of all stripes were a “waste of time”. ... CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann also dismissed the officials’ accusations, maintaining that the opposition’s demonstrations in December and January were separate to the garment strike, despite CNRP leader Sam Rainsy having urged workers to keep striking for a $160 monthly minimum wage. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/unions-opposition-%E2%80%98hindering-wage-talks%E2%80%99
