Labor policy and administration
Minimum wage
Authorities block observers as Svay Rieng factory protests continue
Observers and trade union representatives said they were blocked from monitoring protests in Svay Rieng province, where striking workers clashed with security forces once again on Tuesday morning. ...
Neou Vannarin
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/authorities-block-observers-as-svay-rieng-factory-protests-continue/3113652.html
Major labor protest underway in industrial zone near Vietnam
Thousands of protesters in Svay Rieng province clashed with police Monday, as they continued a prolonged demonstration over the minimum wage in a special economic zone near the Vietnam border.Riot police dispersed protesters with water canons. Protesters threw stones at police. At least a 50 ...
Neou Vannarin
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/major-labor-protest-under-way-in-industrial-zone-near-vietnam/3112380.html
Cambodia police break up 8,000 strong garment protest
Water cannons have been used to bring the angry protest by garment workers to an end. Thousands of people went on strike after they had been promised an 18 euro pay rise and only received half. ...
DW News Staff
http://www.dw.com/en/cambodia-police-break-up-8000-strong-garment-protest/a-18931690
Massive protest over minimum wage continues in Bavet
An unruly protest in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town entered its second day yesterday as thousands of garment workers from a number of special economic zones continued to throw stones and break windows as they demonstrated for a greater increase to the national garment industry ...
Chhay Channyda and Morn Vanntey
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/massive-protest-over-minimum-wage-continues-bavet
Cambodia garment factory owners ask government to help quash strike by workers
Garment factory owners in Cambodia asked the government on Thursday to help stop a strike by workers for higher wages, saying the labor action is damaging the investment climate for the industry, the country’s main source of exports. ...
Associated Press News Staff
http://www.startribune.com/cambodian-garment-makers-ask-government-to-quash-strike/362791961/
International union urges brands to lead on pay rises
Changes to unfair wages for garment sector workers has to start at the top, with global brands paying higher prices for clothes, said leaders of an international labor organization at a meeting yesterday. IndustriALL is pushing for this through its ACT program. If successful, it ...
Jonathan Cox
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18537/international-union-urges-brands-to-lead-on-pay-rises/
Cambodia: Unions discuss garment wages, workers’ rights
Union and clothing brand representatives from around the world met in Cambodia’s capital Wednesday, aiming to address the country’s minimum wage and push for the establishment of a proper system of collective bargaining. ...
Lauren Crothers
http://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/cambodia-unions-discuss-garment-wages-workers-rights/488146
Massage workers strike in Siem Reap
More than 70 workers from a Korean-owned massage centre in the tourist hub of Siem Reap protested in front of their workplace yesterday, demanding a basic wage of $177 per month and a $100 yearly health bonus.Workers from the Alaska Massage Center have been on ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/massage-workers-strike-siem-reap
Migrants abused in Thai poultry industry
Cambodian migrants working in Thailand to process chicken for European consumers are forced into debt bondage and subjected to a range of rights violations, according to a new report.Trapped in the Kitchen of the World, which was released on Wednesday by European NGOs Swedwatch and ...
Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/migrants-abused-thai-poultry-industry
Group aims to teach youth about workers rights
Young people in Cambodia are often taken advantage of by factories because of their inexperience and lack of understanding about labor rights, but the Youth Resource Development Program (YRDP) is trying to change that by educating young people on unions and dispute management in the ...
Chea Takihiro
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18067/group-aims-to-teach-youth-about-workers-rights/
Wages not cutting into exports
Despite industry concerns that a minimum wage increase to $128 earlier this year would hurt Cambodia’s garment exports, the garment and footwear sector – a mainstay of the economy – showed robust growth for the first half of 2015, netting around $3 billion, according to ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/wages-not-cutting-exports
Garment exports still ‘solid’ amid raises: ILO
Cambodia’s garment industry continued to perform “solidly” through the first half of the year, allaying fears that recent minimum wage increases would cripple one of the country’s main economic engines, according to the latest figures released by the International Labor Organization (ILO). ...
Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/garment-exports-still-solid-amid-raises-ilo-99270/
Union agrees to stop protests; factory to set aside complaint
Demonstrations surrounding the establishment of a new union at a garment factory in Kompong Speu province ended Monday after management dropped their complaint against two jailed workers in exchange for protesters agreeing to return to their jobs, a court official and unionists said. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/union-agrees-to-stop-protests-factory-to-set-aside-complaint-98387/
Global brands welcome wage rise
Major global brands that source from Cambodia welcome the recent rise in the basic minimum wage for the country’s more than 700,000 garment workers, representatives of three brands told Khmer Times yesterday. They have no plans to shift sourcing to other countries where wages are ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/16958/global-brands-welcome-wage-rise/
Employers want more productivity following wage hike
Factories in Cambodia’s garment industry say they need more productivity out of workers if they are to survive a new wage hike.Earlier this month, the government agreed to raise minimum wage to $140 per month, a figure managers said would damage the industry. ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/employers-want-more-productivity-following-wage-hike/3015378.html
PM: Wage may be too high
After weeks of occasionally tumultuous negotiations saw 2016’s minimum wage for garment workers raised to $140 earlier this month, Prime Minister Hun Sen warned yesterday that the new rate could cause factories to flee Cambodia, even though he was credited with personally intervening to push ...
Mom Kunthear and Charles Rollet
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-wage-may-be-too-high
Garment unions weigh protests
Garment workers unions unhappy with next year’s recently announced $140 minimum wage for the sector will meet this week to determine whether or not to hold demonstrations to protest the disappointingly low figure.The unions were pushing for $160 a month when the government announced the ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/garment-unions-weigh-protests
Garment sector minimum wage raised to $140
The government set the new monthly minimum wage for the country’s multibillion-dollar garment industry at $140 Thursday—up from $128—after months of tough negotiations that failed to bring employers and unions even close to a consensus. ...
Mech Dara
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/garment-sector-minimum-wage-raised-to-140-97018/
ILO congratulates Cambodia’s consensus on workers’ monthly minimum wage
The International Labor Organization (ILO) has expressed its appreciation for Cambodia’s decision to increase the minimum wage of garment, textile and footwear workers to US$140 per month, according to an ILO’s statement received by the state news agency-AKP this afternoon. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/ilo-congratulates-cambodia%E2%80%99s-consensus-on-workers%E2%80%99-monthly-minimum-wage-9026
Compromise remains elusive in minimum wage negotiations
Factory and union representatives remain as far apart as ever over where to set next year’s minimum wage for garment workers, now at $128 per month, after hours of heated negotiations Wednesday and a vote that seemed to settle nothing. ...
Mech Dara
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/compromise-remains-elusive-in-minimum-wage-negotiations-96839/
Gov’t, factories, Unions to vote on minimum wage today
Government, factory and union representatives tasked with proposing a new monthly minimum wage for the garment sector will vote Wednesday to find a figure after once again failing to reach a consensus during negotiations in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-factories-unions-to-vote-on-minimum-wage-today-96684/
Deadline for wage negotiations missed; Labor Ministry to decide
The tripartite Labor Advisory Committee (LAC) on Monday missed its provisional deadline to decide on a new minimum wage for the garment sector, with employers and trade unions making little progress in coming to an agreement. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/deadline-for-wage-negotiations-missed-labor-ministry-to-decide-96513/
Cambodia holiday policy hampers competiveness
The Cambodian government just released its official list of public holidays for 2016, beating past years’ record by increasing the number of public holidays for 2016 to be 28 days notwithstanding when holidays fall on a weekend (Saturday-Sunday) the following Monday is off as compensation. ...
David Van
http://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-business/cambodia-holiday-policy-hampers-competiveness/
Unions agree to reduce wage demands
As negotiations over a new minimum wage for the garment sector continued on Friday, union representatives agreed to temper their demands in exchange for concessions from manufacturers. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/unions-agree-to-reduce-wage-demands-96334/