Cambodia's garment manufacturers, union leaders reach agreement on wage hike

PHNOM PENH, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's garment and footwear manufacturers on Wednesday agreed to add 10 U.S. dollars to the monthly wage of the workers in the country's garment and footwear industries.

The agreement between the manufacturers and union leaders was reached under the negotiation of Minister of Labor Vong Sauth.

According to the deal, the manufacturers agreed to provide 7 U. S. dollars a month for house rent or transport fee and another 3 U. S. dollars as attendance bonus for garment and footwear workers.

The wage hike negotiation was made after the unions warned late last month that they would stage a large-scale protest in August to demand salaries hike.

Press Release: Towards a living wage - The first People's Tribunal in Cambodia

http://www.box.com/s/drz1o5hb0h0qembofpna

Strike at Hong Va Garment factory

Thursday, December 15, 2011
Source: FTU-Cambodia

About thousand workers of Hong Va Garment are striking in company, they demand 3$ bonus that the company promise to give them, but this time company cannot practice what company said to workers.

More information, please contact Mr. Yan Rothkeo Pisey 078 548 120,

and worker in company 012 971 533

Thanks
Lina

Clothing workers hail $5 pay hike

Employees welcome monthly wage increase after conditions are slammed

November 25, 2011
Agence France-Presse

Cambodian garment workers on Thursday cautiously welcomed the announcement of a $5 monthly pay increase following a spate of mass faintings in textile factories.

The current minimum wage for the country's garment employees is $61 a month, but with overtime most manage to take home around $90 to $100, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency.

The raise, to be paid by employers in return for the government delaying a planned tax on factory profits, will come into effect after January, Prime Minister Hun Sen said, adding that the extra money could be used to keep workers healthy.

Chea Mony threatens strike if no result in negotiation for workers

11 Feb 2011
By Ratana
Cambodia Express News
Translated from Khmer by Soch

On 10 February, Chea Mony, President of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), sent a letter to Ith Sam Heng, the minister of social affairs, asking the latter to push the negotiations to provide benefit payments to garment and shoe factory workers. He said that there were many negotiations already, but no outcome came out of them up to now.

Chea Mony indicated that if there is no meeting between the labor commission and the department of social affairs by March in order to discuss the benefits for workers, then he will lead a strike throughout the country.

Garment pay strike continues

Employees of the Sun Lu Fong garment factory in Meanchey district raise their hands in unison during a strike at the factory yesterday. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

Monday, 23 August 2010
Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post

AROUND 160 garment workers continued to strike yesterday outside the gates of a factory in Meanchey district, where they have camped out day and night since Thursday to agitate for improved working conditions.

Ien Pov, a union representative at the Sun Lu Fong factory, said workers had made eight demands to the factory’s management, including a request that workers receive US$80 in severance pay for every year they have worked at the factory.

“Most workers want me to continue to hold the strike after learning that the factory owner has violated their rights and the law,” he said.

But union officials and local authorities say the demands of the workers may not reflect their rights under labour laws.

Som Aun, president of the Cambodian Labour Union Confederation, said that the severance pay demand especially was a step too far.

“Their demands cannot be settled in just a short time because what they have demanded is illegal,” he said.

“This condition is not mentioned in the Cambodian Labour Law. They can receive that kind of payment only if they are fired by the factory.”

Som Aun issued a letter on Saturday calling the strike “illegal” and said that the confederation had decided in a meeting on August 16 not to sanction the strike because he wanted to meet with the factory’s management to discuss the workers’ demands.

Last week, the Arbitration Council dismissed a complaint filed in July by 160 workers from the factory, citing the illegality of the resignation clause.

“The factory will discuss their demands and try to solve the problem outside the court system if the approximately 20 percent of workers who are on strike agree to go back to work,” Som Aun said.

Sok Nan, deputy administrative director of Sun Ly Fong factory, said yesterday that fewer than 50 workers were still taking part in the strike.

“I have no idea how the factory will deal with the protesting workers, but we are not paying attention to the strike,” she said.

Meanwhile, Keo Sareoun, the chief of Chak Angre Leu commune, said authorities planned to crack down on the striking workers today.

“It is difficult for us to maintain order and safety at night when such an anarchic strike is happening,” he said. “On Monday, I will not allow them to protest in the area any longer.”

He declined to say what measures would be taken to disperse the protesters.

Ien Pov said that about 20 local police officers had already warned the protesters. “The police have told us that if we continue to protest our security cannot be guaranteed,” he said.

Workers held a procession to demand pay raise

26 July 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

About 500 workers from several factories around Phnom Penh led by Ath Thun, President of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, and Mrs. Mam Nhim, President of the Coalition of Cambodian Textile Unions, have gathered in front of the National Assembly in the morning of 25 July 2010 to demand for a pay raise to at least $75 per month. The gathering was followed up by NGOs and human rights organizations. The Phnom Penh authority and cops have set up forces along entrances to the capital and they issued a strong order not to let cars or moto taxis transport workers into the capital for demonstration. The workers disbanded at around 11AM on the same day. Ath Thun warned that if there is no raise in the workers’ salary, a bigger demonstration by the factory workers will take place. He added that today’s gathering is not political, it’s only to demand for a better standard of living for the workers only.

Union Workers Gather to Demand for Better Minimum Wage: Joint Statement

ADHOC – CCHR – CLEC – LICADHO

Union Workers Gather to Demand for Better Minimum Wage

Media Statement

July 25, 2010

We, the undersigned organizations, would like to salute the courage and determination of union members from the Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC) and Cambodian National Confederation (CNC) who took part in a peaceful rally in front of the National Assembly on the morning of July 25, 2010, despite initial restrictions by Phnom Penh authorities. Between 3,500 and 4,500 union members gathered to demand a minimum wage increase that would meet minimum standards of living.

We also welcome the late change of mind by the Phnom Penh police this morning to tolerate this peaceful assembly of workers.

However, we believe that the authorities never should have decided to ban this peaceful rally, as they did initially. On July 21, the Municipality explicitly forbade the gathering on the grounds that it would: i) affect public order, ii) threaten public safety, and iii) cause damage to public property. Two days later, the Ministry of Interior joined the Municipality in banning the gathering. These types of groundless excuses are often used to curb the freedom of assembly and expression of Cambodian citizens, which are enshrined in the Cambodian Constitution and therefore should be respected by the authorities.

“This ban by the Municipality and the Ministry of Interior arises in the general context of a worrying crackdown on freedom of expression”, says CCHR Executive Director Ou Virak. “Why is the Government preventing ordinary Cambodians from voicing important issues that directly affect their lives?”

Furthermore, we condemn the attempted restrictions on freedom of movement and assembly by police and military police officers. Hundreds of armed officers were deployed at the main entrances to Phnom Penh and at the designated rally sites. From 6:30AM to 8:45AM, police stopped cars, motorbikes and tuk tuks carrying workers, who were left to stand on the side of the street. After over an hour of negotiations with the authorities, the workers were finally allowed to walk to the rally.

“The actions by the authorities early this morning were meant to intimidate and threaten workers, so that they would not take part in this peaceful assembly”, says ADHOC Monitoring Coordinator Chan Soveth.

“This morning’s gathering was a clear message by workers that the current minimum wage is simply not acceptable”, says CLEC Executive Director Yeng Virak. “An independent study commissioned by CLEC showed that a minimum of US$75 per month is required for workers to meet minimum living standards.”

We call for the Cambodian government to:

• Instruct all authorities to respect the rights of all Cambodians to assemble and express their opinions in a peaceful manner;
• Swiftly create an truly open and transparent process in which the minimum wage is reviewed so that it meets minimum standards of living for all workers;
• Ensure that no union members suffer negative repercussions – including intimidation, spurious legal charges and unjust dismissals - from having joined in leading this morning’s peaceful rally.

For more information, please contact:

• CLEC Executive Director Yeng Virak, 012 801 235
• ADHOC Monitoring Coordinator Chan Soveth, 016 937 591
• CCHR Executive Director Ou Virak, 012 404 051
• LICADHO Monitoring Supervisor Am Sam Ath, 012 327 770

Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC) and several unions to hold a major public forum on 25 July 2010 to demand wage increase

Garment Workers in Cambodia Picket for Higher Wages

2010-07-14
New Tang Dynasty TV

Around 3,000 garment factory workers at Chinese-owned Barry Apparel in Phnom Penh refused to work on Wednesday. The workers demanded a bigger increase in the minimum wage.

[Hang Sarith, Barry Apparel Employee]:
"All workers requested a 20 dollar increase. But it would take at least 10 dollars, not the 5 dollars that they gave us, for us to be able to afford most things because everything costs a lot more now."

[Chek Phary, Barry Apparel Employee]:
"I appeal to the government to keep checking on the workers. Each one of them is ailing, and we get little payment. We cannot live with it."

The government signed an agreement early this month with employers and five pro-government unions for an increase in the minimum wage to the equivalent of U.S. $61 a month from U.S. $56 a month, including a U.S. $6 living allowance. The increase would take effect in October.

But the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, which represents about 40,000 workers, had sought a U.S. $93 minimum wage and did not agree to the deal.

[Chea Mony, President, Free Trade Union Workers]:
"In general, our stance is that we will have bilateral talks between us and the factory owner. We have asked the workers to write down all their demands, and I will take those written demands to the factory owner to discuss later today."

The garment industry is Cambodia's third-biggest currency earner behind agriculture and tourism.

Last year textile exports, of which over half go to the United States, dropped to U.S. $2.3 billion from U.S. $2.9 billion in 2008.

Cambodia govt, unions agree to 9% rise in garment wages

PHNOM PENH, July 8 (Reuters) - Cambodia's government and several unions agreed on Thursday to a 9-percent minimum wage rise for garment workers but the industry's biggest unions said their demands were not met and a strike was still possible.

Garment workers have threatened a nationwide strike in Cambodia, where minimum wages are among the world's lowest, if pay levels fail to rise sharply in an industry vital to the impoverished country's nascent economic recovery.

Labor Minister Vong Sauth said wages would rise from $56 a month to $61 from Oct. 1 under a new four-year agreement that would be strictly enforced.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union (FTU), which had demanded a $70 minimum monthly wage and organised a strike for July 13-15, told Reuters those who voted did not represent the majority of workers. He had not been invited to the talks.

"We were not included to provide opinions," he said, adding he wanted to see more details of the agreement before deciding whether to go ahead with a strike.

His union was one of two in the industry -- Cambodia's third-biggest earner behind agriculture and tourism -- that did not vote on Thursday.

Ath Thorn, president of Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, which represents about 40,000 workers and had sought a $93 monthly wage, told reporters he would ask his members if they agreed with the new wage.

"If they don't agree with this, we will strike. A $5 wage increase is not the demand of the workers," he said.

Five largely pro-government unions backed the pay increase, which was in-line with a June 25 government recommendation to the Garment Manufacturer's Association in Cambodia (GMAC), which represents 230 factories employing about 200,000 people.

The workers currently receive $50 a month plus a $6 living allowance bonus.

Van Sou Ieng, the chairman of the GMAC, said the unions' demands were not justified and that workers could afford living expenses in Cambodia, where annual inflation averaged about five percent last year.

Cambodia's garment industry shed almost 30,000 jobs in 2009 after a drop in sales to the United States and Europe.

GMAC data showed the country exported garments, textiles and shoes to the value of $2.3 billion last year, down from $2.9 billion in 2008. More than half go to the United States.

No pay hike for Cambodian garment workers

February 12, 2010
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

Dialogue between Cambodia's government, the Garment Manufacturers' Association of Cambodia - the main trade body and unions, concerning a pay hike for garment workers, concluded without any decision being taken, but a representative of manufacturers announced that the members would further consider the matter.

Majority of Cambodia's 350,000 garment workers are young women engaged in stitching fabrics for exports and earning average monthly minimum wage of US $50 per month. But unions firmly opined that the wages are not sufficient and also that government's own statistics office consents to this, citing that the workers require minimum US $93 to make ends meet.

The industry has suffered on account of fall in orders during the last 18 months and proposed hike in wages would lead to further increase in costs. On account of a decline in demand from the leading US market, dozens of factories have shut down and hundreds of workers have been rendered jobless.

Cambodian garment workers fail to win pay rise

Tue, 9 Feb 2010
Robert Carmichael, Phnom Penh

Discussions between Cambodia's government, manufacturers and unions over a pay increase for garment workers have ended without agreement.

Most of Cambodia's 350,000 garment workers are young women, and on average earn the monthly minimum wage of $US50 a month, stitching clothes for export.

But unions have long said that is insufficient, and the government's own statistics office agrees, saying workers need at least $US93 a month to make ends meet.

This week's meeting between government, unions and the Garment Manufacturers' Association of Cambodia - the main trade body - ended without agreement.

But the manufacturers' representative said his members would look further into the issue.

The proposed increase would represent a rise in costs for the industry, which has suffered in the past 18 months from lower orders.

Dozens of factories have closed and tens of thousands of workers have lost their jobs as demand from the key US market slumped.

Mu Sochua: In "trying to point figures at others," the government simply shows it lacks responsibility and competence in tackling the problems

Cambodia Moves to Curb Rice Price Hikes

Thursday March
By Ker Munthit
Associated Press Writer

Cambodia Takes Steps to Curb Soaring Rice and Food Prices

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Cambodia's government appealed for calm Thursday as it rushed out a series of economic measures to address soaring food prices.

The measures -- announced in three separate statements Wednesday evening -- came one day after Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a ban on rice exports to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam in a bid to bring down domestic prices of the staple.

The price of low-grade rice in Phnom Penh's markets has risen to about 2,000 riel (50 cents) per kilogram from 1,300 riel (30 cents) about three months ago.

Finance Minister Keat Chhon appealed for the Cambodian people "to remain calm ... and not to stock up on food commodities, which could make the situation even harder."

In addition to the rice export ban, the government said it would release surplus rice from its reserves to help bring down prices. Authorities also said they would impose measures to stop illegal stockpiling and implement a better distribution system to get rice to areas with shortages.

The measures also cited higher prices for other foods, but gave few specifics. The price of many foods have been gradually rising for months, partly due to higher fuel costs.

Although it is part of a global problem, the current price situation "is affecting the daily livelihoods of our citizens," Hun Sen said in a letter to his finance and commerce ministers that was released Thursday.

Hun Sen asked that finance and commerce ministers start discussions with garment factory operators on ways to raise wages "in order to increase productivity of the factories" and address the imbalance between workers' incomes and market prices for essential goods.

The garment industry is the major export earnings sector in Cambodia, where some 35 percent of the country's 14 million people live on less than 50 cents a day. The industry employs about 355,000 workers, mostly women.

Many members of the Cambodian Free Trade Union, one of several representing garment workers, had originally planned to stage a strike this week to demand a wage increase, said Srei Seiha, a spokesman for the group.

He said the group has now postponed the planned strike pending negotiations with the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia to have the workers' basic wage elevated to $55 from $50 a month.

"The current wage cannot keep up with the prices on the market," he said.

The president of the manufacturers association, Van Sou Ieng, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh blamed the situation on "opportunists" trying to make political gains ahead of a July general election.

In "trying to point figures at others," the government simply shows it lacks responsibility and competence in tackling the problems, said Mu Sochua, deputy secretary-general of Cambodia's main opposition group, the Sam Rainsy Party.