Thursday, April 29, 2010

Garment workforce to rally for wage hike


April 29, 2010 (Cambodia)
Fibre2Fashion

On International Labour Day i.e. on May 1, around 7,000 workers from six labour unions intend to file a petition, by staging a rally, to the National Assembly in Phnom Penh, demanding the top legislative bodies to increase payment of workers in the garment trade and tourism sectors.

While, the Prime Minister, Hun Sen has warned workers to avoid demonstrations, the rally has already been scheduled to commence from Wat Phnom to the National Assembly.

According to Ath Thun, the President of Cambodian Labour Confederation, organizations such as the Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers Democratic Union and the Cambodian Tourism and Service Sector Federation will partake in the rally.

These organizations have demanded from the assembly, an increase in the minimum wages, a national social security fund and pensions, extension of work contracts by employers, and permission to allow workers’ associations to operate for free, without any interference.

The petition that will be submitted to the National Assembly on May 1, includes the demand of monthly wage improvement of garment workers to US $93, from the current minimum wage of $50 as a priority, that the government has to consider at the earliest possible.

Thun also said that, the workers will be reluctant to work creatively and dedicatedly if their demands are not met with, by the government.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

For sure, the garmet workers deserve a pay rise.

Will our brave PM put his relative to work for that low pay job for a trial.

Anonymous said...

they should have a day for everyone to work as a garment worker to see how it feels like. it's a good way to understand it, really!

Anonymous said...

During a worldwide recession garment workers think they will get a nearly 100% pay rise?

Anonymous said...

I understand the workers deserve a raise, but please be reasonable with the demand, if not those companies may move work to different countries.

Anonymous said...

12:27 am

So, what time of an era should factory workers able to demanded for pay raise? If you demand for it, it doesn't matter when, you are not gonna get it. Guess what? Do you know how much profit these company are making from our Khmer cheap labor? That's right you don't have a clue, all I know is that, that's why the garment factory had left America to Srok Khmer, needless to say, it's a "go figure".

Anonymous said...

Hahhahhahahhahhah Ah Hun Sen say NO to that gathering each others more than 200 people ,wait what Ah dog Sen can do to khmer workers???????

Anonymous said...

If companies are unable or unwilling to meet even workers' basic demands such as improved working conditions - how many times had garment factory workers passed out en masse during working hours in the last few months or years? - and fair wages, they might as well move out of the country.

Workers could then look for alternative employment or return to their villages and farms.

Please do not play into employers' hands by the threat of walking out on the workers or use it as an excuse to suppress people's right to stage a peaceful demonstration.

If Cambodia is going to have a garment industry, international labour laws should be in place to safeguard workers and shield them from their employers' malpractices and/or gross exploitation.

After all, someone lately claimed that Cambodia is no banana skin republic? Then live up to the claim and show that capitalism could also have a human face.

One suspects that the government is more concerned with saving its own skin rather than that of the workers', believing public demonstrations of this nature could escalate into an anti-government protest?

Reform and democratise the country now, or face potential bloodbath and strife later. No army or regime is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.


School of Vice

Anonymous said...

GO FOR IT. DON'T LISTEN TO HUN SEN. HE A CROOK PRIME MINISTER OF CAMBODIA FOR MANY YEARS. THAT A GOOD WAY HOW TO STAND UP FOR YOUR SELF CAMBODIAN.