Chea Mony17 June 2010
By S. Botum
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Negotiations for $70 minimum monthly wage for workers reached an impasse, this is the reason why the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) – the largest union in Cambodia – warned that it will hold a strike in mid-July in order to demand for their target wage increase.
Chea Mony, FTUWKC President, declared in a recent letter that representatives for about 80,000 workers have voted on 23 May to hold a strike if the Labor Council commission does not agree to increase the workers’ wage by 20% over this year’s minimum wage.
Chea Mony warned on Wednesday also that in order to avoid the strike to be held between 13 and 15 July, the Labor Council commission – which includes representatives from the ministry of Labor, the Garment Manufacturer Association of Cambodia (GMAC), and labor unions close to the CPP – must increase the minimum wage from $50 to $70, i.e. the promise made to workers for the end of this year.
Strike warning raises concerns with the GMAC in the past week because it could affect their textile manufacturing and the industry cannot respond to orders from buyers. GMAC asked the ministry of Labor to make an arrangement in this case.
Vong Sot, the minister of Labor, issued a public letter telling the union to rethink about its plan. But, Vong Sot could not comment on the response from the union.
Khieu Sopheak, mouthpiece of the ministry of Interior, issued a threat yesterday against the call for a strike. Khieu Sopheak said that unions should look at the demonstration law. Under this law, strikes are forbidden inside a factory.
Nevertheless, Chea Mony said that the strike will be held as planned if the Labor Council refused to agree to the minimum wage rise to $70 for workers.
Chea Mony, FTUWKC President, declared in a recent letter that representatives for about 80,000 workers have voted on 23 May to hold a strike if the Labor Council commission does not agree to increase the workers’ wage by 20% over this year’s minimum wage.
Chea Mony warned on Wednesday also that in order to avoid the strike to be held between 13 and 15 July, the Labor Council commission – which includes representatives from the ministry of Labor, the Garment Manufacturer Association of Cambodia (GMAC), and labor unions close to the CPP – must increase the minimum wage from $50 to $70, i.e. the promise made to workers for the end of this year.
Strike warning raises concerns with the GMAC in the past week because it could affect their textile manufacturing and the industry cannot respond to orders from buyers. GMAC asked the ministry of Labor to make an arrangement in this case.
Vong Sot, the minister of Labor, issued a public letter telling the union to rethink about its plan. But, Vong Sot could not comment on the response from the union.
Khieu Sopheak, mouthpiece of the ministry of Interior, issued a threat yesterday against the call for a strike. Khieu Sopheak said that unions should look at the demonstration law. Under this law, strikes are forbidden inside a factory.
Nevertheless, Chea Mony said that the strike will be held as planned if the Labor Council refused to agree to the minimum wage rise to $70 for workers.
10 comments:
Just strike. You got 80,000 strong and you can't take advantage of it? Useless leader!
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
Chea Mony, we were fully support to improve workers basic life daily, by increasing their salaries through $75 per month.
New Phally
Workers of the World Unite!
All power to the working class!
Decent, liveable wages for Cambodians is only fair and reasonable. Whatever they can win by negotiation or striking will still be less than their true worth. Under socialism, one day, the exploitation of the workers will end.
http://lemonjuicebruce.blogspot.com/
Keep striking and u will lose your jobs altogether. This is not the time to strike when thousands are currently UNEMPLOYED. The economy is really bad here. What are these people thinking? Just be thankful that they have a job at during these tough times. There are thousands of people here who wld be happy to get any kinds of jobs and here they are striking again and again. Look at the employees of Naga World(Hotel & Casino). Those that striked or attempt to, lost their jobs. They should learn a thing or two from this.
Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs due to the factories shut down here and they are more than happy to replace those who are not happy with their jobs. If these people continue to strike, these factories will close down and move to another countries like many others.
i think it is time for cambodia to have a minimum wage law so people can have fairness, etc...
The grenades killed over 10 people at the Pagoda. Sene Sane's son was injured by the grenades including 10 other people. I did not know that they would be using the hand grenades against the innocent demonstrators. I was not a party to it. When the grenades exploded, I was at the office of Net Sa Veun talking to him about how Hun Sen had met Hoc Lundy. After that the police were alerted to the explosions and that is when I knew that something bad happened. I only found out that after the grenades exploded. The police were called upon to investigate who was responsible for the bombing, but they did the investigation superficially and were trying to cover the track than to find the person responsible.
During my time at the Anti-Narcotic Bureau, I discovered evidence showing Hun Sen's people being involved in drug trafficking. I went to see Hun Sen with a view to bringing it to his attention. He took me to the cellar of his house which was nicely decorated. Hun Sen asked me whether I knew the names of the people who were into the drugs. I replied that I knew and I told him one name Mon Routy whom I was sure was involved. I suspected other men of Hun Sen were also involved, but I was not 100% sure. Hun Sen did not make any comments. Then Hoc Lundy then arrived with Huy Piseth, Chief of the Hun Sen's bodyguards and distracted my discussion with him. We then talked about the opposition party's protest. Hoc Lundy said to Hun Sen, ' why don't you use hand grenades.' Hun Sen said that it was a good idea... "I can send Seth to do it and he is a good operator." He authorized Hoc Lundy to pay for Huy PiSeth to do the job. Hoc Lundy answered that he would put together the money to pay them. He suggested that I met with Seth. After that, Hoc Lundy ordered me to find the money (US$ 100000) to give to Huy Piseth. The money came from the police.
On 30/3/97, the opposition leader Sam Rainsy led a demonstration calling for the reform of the justice system in Cambodia. The demonstration was held in front of the Assembly of the Nation. I was near the Pro Tom Pagoda and witnessed what happened. My staff took me on his motorbike to see the big protest outside the Assembly. 2-4 minutes after we arrived, I heard a big explosion and people crying and screaming. Then I saw four men running away from the scene. I recognized only two of them that were: Mr Phan Sary Colonel and Mr Ourn Cham Nane Commander; both of them were Hun Sen's men. I did not know the other two. They ran towards the Prime Minister' house. I followed them there to see what they ran away like that for. I talked to General Huy Pheseth and told him that I saw four of his people running away from the scene and that they should not have thrown the grenades. He told me to keep quiet and don't talk to any body. But I was angry and upset. I need to speak to somebody about it. I went to see Hoc Lundy who I considered at the time as my friend. I felt that I had to report to Hoc and could not understand why Hun Sen chose to kill so many people. But he told me the same thing to keep quiet and not to tell anybody about it. Amongst the people who were killed or injured was an American. I understand the American Government sent people to Cambodia to investigate.
In 2003 Phan Sary came to see me in my office. He admitted to me that he was the person who threw the grenades. He said that he was very sad because he killed so many people. He complained that Hun Sen used to pay him money to have things done. When he was in trouble nobody seemed to care about him He said that he did what he did because Hun Sen ordered him and he had to please him. He acknowledged that he killed a lot of people before. He said that he now did not even have money to support his children. I recorded the conversation.
12:30am, what is the revelancy of your "story" to this article? there's NO correlation.
I don't believe a damn thing u said on here. U knew that Hun Sen's men were involved and yet u DARE go to his house to discuss the matter with him? U got guts. And u even questioned Hok Lundy? That is hard to believe.
1:07AM! that the confession of Heng Poe! the kid just try to remind us of how to survive the CPP justice!
Crook controle the country!!!!!
AH Hun Xen iskwack but he is a killer!
Hun Sen was really behind the grenade attacks in 1997, he is a real criminal, he must be judged, if Cambodian justice doesn't do it, Cambodia remains a REPUBLIC of BANANA for ever and your descendants will never live in a free country
They should also be paid every 2 weeks as well instead of monthly.
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