Poto: Asahi Shimbun
21 March 2013
By Shane Worrell and Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post
GARMENT and footwear workers across the country will be
paid a minimum wage of $75 per month – an increase of $14 – beginning in
May, according to a document released by the Ministry of Social Affairs this morning.
“The minimum wage will be changed on May 1 and the workers will
receive it at the end of May or early in June,” the statement, signed by
Minister of Social Affairs Ith Sam Heng, says.
The documents add that the government had been willing to approve an
increase to $73, but Prime Minister Hun Sen had intervened and said the
figure should instead be $75 plus a $5 health allowance that workers are
already paid.
“Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the employers add $2 for this wage to
bring it up to $80,” the statement says. “The Labour Advisory Committee
will hold a meeting on March 29 in order to complete this process in
accordance with the Labour Law.”
Vong Sovann, deputy secretary-general of the Ministry of Social
Affairs’ strike resolution committee, also said Hun Sen had insisted on
the additional $2.
“The decision is final and relevant parties will have a meeting next Friday with the Labour Advisory Committee,” he said.
The announcement follows a series of talks in recent weeks between
the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia and unions, some of
which stood firm on $100 per month in the face of GMAC’s $70 offer.
In the latest such meeting this week, six unions considered
pro-government agreed to go as low as $73, but GMAC secretary-general
Ken Loo said agreement could only be reached if all 10 union groups in
the meeting were unified.
Loo said today that he had only just heard the announcement and was
not in a position to comment until he was given more details.
Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, one
of the unions that stood firm on its $100 demand, said he could not
accept the $75 figure and would organise a massive strike in response.
“I’ve received information about this already, but I do not welcome
this decision at all, because it is a verylittle amount for workers,”
he said
No comments:
Post a Comment