By Prak Chan Thul
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
For the fifth time in over a month, garment unions and factory owners sat down on Friday and failed to agree upon an acceptable raise to the $45-a-month garment industry minimum wage.
During Friday's closed-door talks in Phnom Penh, the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia raised its offer from $47.75 a month to $48, union leaders said. The 17 unions participating lowered their demand to $62, down from $63 during the last meeting and $82 at the start of the talks.
"The negotiation was always tense," said Som Aun, spokesman for the unions.
"GMAC said that [workers] could survive with only $45," he said. "Forty-five dollars allows you to survive but with suffering."
Som Aun said mat during the four-hour talks, GMAC repeatedly warned that Cambodia has to compete with lower costs in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
The 17 unions have agreed to meet on Oct 30 to assess progress in the negotiations and to decide whether to strike, he said.
GMAC Secretary-General Ken Loo confirmed that GMAC will attend the next round of talks on Oct 20 but declined to comment further.
Chuon Mom Thol, president of the CPP-affiliated Cambodian Union Federation and an adviser to Interior Minister Sar Kheng, said that unions should understand that some factories may go bankrupt from a raise in the minimum wage.
He also called on all parties to allow the government into the bilateral talks.
"The government, which is the referee, should be involved because at this rate, even after three more months, it will not be finished" he said.
Free Trade Union President Chea Mony said he did not think the government should get involved yet, as he does not believe it is committed to raising wages for workers and teachers.
Labor Minister Vong Soth said if the negotiations fail, the government's Labor Advisory Committee, on which Chuon Mom Thol serves as union representative, will set the new wage.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
During Friday's closed-door talks in Phnom Penh, the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia raised its offer from $47.75 a month to $48, union leaders said. The 17 unions participating lowered their demand to $62, down from $63 during the last meeting and $82 at the start of the talks.
"The negotiation was always tense," said Som Aun, spokesman for the unions.
"GMAC said that [workers] could survive with only $45," he said. "Forty-five dollars allows you to survive but with suffering."
Som Aun said mat during the four-hour talks, GMAC repeatedly warned that Cambodia has to compete with lower costs in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
The 17 unions have agreed to meet on Oct 30 to assess progress in the negotiations and to decide whether to strike, he said.
GMAC Secretary-General Ken Loo confirmed that GMAC will attend the next round of talks on Oct 20 but declined to comment further.
Chuon Mom Thol, president of the CPP-affiliated Cambodian Union Federation and an adviser to Interior Minister Sar Kheng, said that unions should understand that some factories may go bankrupt from a raise in the minimum wage.
He also called on all parties to allow the government into the bilateral talks.
"The government, which is the referee, should be involved because at this rate, even after three more months, it will not be finished" he said.
Free Trade Union President Chea Mony said he did not think the government should get involved yet, as he does not believe it is committed to raising wages for workers and teachers.
Labor Minister Vong Soth said if the negotiations fail, the government's Labor Advisory Committee, on which Chuon Mom Thol serves as union representative, will set the new wage.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
1 comment:
They couldn't even agree on the living wage?
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