By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The Garment Manufacturers Association, labor unions and Ministry of labor representatives all agreed Wednesday that the minimum wage for garment factory employees needs to be raised. But they failed to agree on exactly how much, during heated discussions in which a Ministry of Commerce representative warned that a wage increase could ward off investors and called on workers to tighten their belts.
Labor Minister Vong Sauth told the meeting, held at the ministry's medical department in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district, that garment sector salaries must be raised from the current $45-per-month minimum, as this is no longer a livable wage.
"The minimum wage must be raised," Vong Sauth said following the talks, which mark the first round of negotiations on a new minimum wage and night-shift work.
"We had a favorable result because the employers agreed to raise the workers' pay, but we just don't know how much," he said.
All parties should remain in dialogue and workers should not go on strike during the negotiation period, he added.
Chhoun Mom Thol, president of the CPP afiffiated Cambodian Union Federation, told GMAC officials that workers want their salaries nearly doubled to $82 per month.
"In order to survive at a suitable standard of living, the workers must have at least $82," said Chhoun Mom Thol, who is also an adviser to Interior Minister Sar Kheng, adding that unions are prepared to settle for less if the matter can be properly discussed.
Mean Sothea, director of the Ministry of Commerce's department dealing with preferential trade access and garment quotas, warned the unions that they risk scaring garment factories away to Vietnam by asking for pay raises.
With Vietnam entering the World Trade Organization later this year, Cambodia will have to bolster its attractiveness to investors if it is to compete, he said.
"We should continue to eat rice porridge, as a simple measure, rather than having rice to eat three times a day, or we will starve for the rest of our lives," he said.
The remark prompted an angry response from Morm Nhim, president of the National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia. "We cannot eat rice porridge like we did during the Khmer Rouge regime. Our country has already developed," she said.
Mean Sothea responded that he had not meant that workers should literally eat rice porridge.
"I just don't want the employers to run away," he explained.
Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, who attended the meeting as a GMAC representative, said GMAC officials agreed three weeks ago that salaries in garment factories needed to be raised.
Cheath Khemara, GMAC labor issue officer, said GMAC wants the government to introduce a night shift that would pay 30 percent more than the day shift Workers currently have to be paid double pay if they work between 10pm and 5am, a requirement that is deterring investors, he said.
"The [labor] law creates pressure, investors hesitate to come. We have hung ourselves," he said.
Representatives at the talks also elected two new members to a joint committee aimed at discussing the pay raise and night shift issues. Chhoun Mom Thol and GMAC President Van Sou Ieng were both elected as its vice-chairmen joining Vong Sauth, who heads the committee.
Labor Minister Vong Sauth told the meeting, held at the ministry's medical department in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district, that garment sector salaries must be raised from the current $45-per-month minimum, as this is no longer a livable wage.
"The minimum wage must be raised," Vong Sauth said following the talks, which mark the first round of negotiations on a new minimum wage and night-shift work.
"We had a favorable result because the employers agreed to raise the workers' pay, but we just don't know how much," he said.
All parties should remain in dialogue and workers should not go on strike during the negotiation period, he added.
Chhoun Mom Thol, president of the CPP afiffiated Cambodian Union Federation, told GMAC officials that workers want their salaries nearly doubled to $82 per month.
"In order to survive at a suitable standard of living, the workers must have at least $82," said Chhoun Mom Thol, who is also an adviser to Interior Minister Sar Kheng, adding that unions are prepared to settle for less if the matter can be properly discussed.
Mean Sothea, director of the Ministry of Commerce's department dealing with preferential trade access and garment quotas, warned the unions that they risk scaring garment factories away to Vietnam by asking for pay raises.
With Vietnam entering the World Trade Organization later this year, Cambodia will have to bolster its attractiveness to investors if it is to compete, he said.
"We should continue to eat rice porridge, as a simple measure, rather than having rice to eat three times a day, or we will starve for the rest of our lives," he said.
The remark prompted an angry response from Morm Nhim, president of the National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia. "We cannot eat rice porridge like we did during the Khmer Rouge regime. Our country has already developed," she said.
Mean Sothea responded that he had not meant that workers should literally eat rice porridge.
"I just don't want the employers to run away," he explained.
Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, who attended the meeting as a GMAC representative, said GMAC officials agreed three weeks ago that salaries in garment factories needed to be raised.
Cheath Khemara, GMAC labor issue officer, said GMAC wants the government to introduce a night shift that would pay 30 percent more than the day shift Workers currently have to be paid double pay if they work between 10pm and 5am, a requirement that is deterring investors, he said.
"The [labor] law creates pressure, investors hesitate to come. We have hung ourselves," he said.
Representatives at the talks also elected two new members to a joint committee aimed at discussing the pay raise and night shift issues. Chhoun Mom Thol and GMAC President Van Sou Ieng were both elected as its vice-chairmen joining Vong Sauth, who heads the committee.
2 comments:
No consensus? How about raise the wage so that poor average Cambodian people can afford to pay for food, to pay for electric bill, and gasoline! I am talking about a living wage!
addition disavantage to the pooerer workers due to inflation and oil price increased.
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