Cambodia’s garment industry has launched wage negotiations, but unions and industry representatives have yet to reach a consensus on this.
Negotiations on wage growth for Cambodian garment workers in 2022 began on September 7, and tripartite negotiations between workers, trade unions, and industry representatives were completed on the first day.
A tripartite meeting, including the Ministry of Labor, was introduced through video conference as a preventive measure against the new crown epidemic. Union representatives demanded an increase in wages of US$22.20, with US$214.20 as the minimum. monthly salary.
However, according to the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) refused to accept this salary condition, pointing out that the impact of the new crown epidemic has been profound and will continue to The need for investors.
Ath Thorn, president of the Cambodian Federation of Labor, one of the largest unions in the country, participated in the ministry’s talks and said: Employers said they were (in a difficult situation) and demanded Stability is better than negotiating a minimum wage without raising wages to maintain the workforce.
GMAC Deputy Secretary-General Kaing Monika mentioned that this meeting was just the beginning without going into too many details, and we will express our respective positions at the next meeting.
Yaing Sophorn, chairman of the Cambodian Federation of Trade Unions, mentioned: We believe that the minimum wage should continue to increase, depending on the economy, market inflation, and workers’ cost of living.
In January 2021, the minimum monthly salary of Cambodian garment and shoe industry workers will increase by US$2, which means that workers will have a monthly salary of at least US$192. On a trial basis, the minimum monthly salary will be US$192 per month. Monthly salary of $187.
The minimum wage for garment workers has increased year by year since 2014.
The reporter contacted GMAC and asked how much wages it hoped to obtain for the workers. A spokesman responded: We have just had our initial meeting and there will be no proper negotiations until next week.
According to local media reports, the garment and footwear industry is Cambodia’s largest export industry, employing about 750,000 people in about 1,100 factories and branches.
