Funeral of Chea Vichea in 2004By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 January 2008
A trade union in Cambodia is seeking government permission to hold a massive rally Jan. 25 over workers' salaries and the rising cost of living in Cambodia.
Chea Mony, brother of slain union leader Chea Vichea and president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, told VOA Khmer he was seeking permission to gather 100,000 workers.
The proposed rally would come just three days after the fourth anniversary of the murder of Chea Vichea, which sparked widespread worker unrest.
Cambodia earns much of its foreign revenue from garment factories, and unions continually clash with authorities over their rights.
Chea Vichea was murdered Jan. 22, 2004.
In two separate letters, to Minister of Education Kol Pheng and Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, Chea Mony requested permission to rally 100,000 workers from 180 factories near Olympic Stadium.
"If the wage is still low while inflation keeps increasing, and the garment factory associations have shown the increase in products in both 2006 and 2007—up to 12 percent—we'd like them to use those profits to increase the salaries of the workers," Chea Mony said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Cambodian Union Federation in a letter Thursday the government's response to inflation could be to raise the minimum wage to $72 per month, while their living expenses are only $30 per month.
Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Union Federation, called the response "an excuse and temporary answer to avoid dealing with the problems, while inflation is worsening.
Chea Mony, brother of slain union leader Chea Vichea and president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, told VOA Khmer he was seeking permission to gather 100,000 workers.
The proposed rally would come just three days after the fourth anniversary of the murder of Chea Vichea, which sparked widespread worker unrest.
Cambodia earns much of its foreign revenue from garment factories, and unions continually clash with authorities over their rights.
Chea Vichea was murdered Jan. 22, 2004.
In two separate letters, to Minister of Education Kol Pheng and Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, Chea Mony requested permission to rally 100,000 workers from 180 factories near Olympic Stadium.
"If the wage is still low while inflation keeps increasing, and the garment factory associations have shown the increase in products in both 2006 and 2007—up to 12 percent—we'd like them to use those profits to increase the salaries of the workers," Chea Mony said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Cambodian Union Federation in a letter Thursday the government's response to inflation could be to raise the minimum wage to $72 per month, while their living expenses are only $30 per month.
Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Union Federation, called the response "an excuse and temporary answer to avoid dealing with the problems, while inflation is worsening.
4 comments:
It seems that living expenses is misquoted, may be just foods alone that would cost $30 per month if that only basic meal.
most of garmet workers are from other provices, thus they have to pay for living arrangement, not to mention about clothings and medication when required.
So please do not be misled that the workers could save as much as $42 per month.It is a joke!!!.
The Vietcong natural selection of stupid Cambodian politicians!
The good Cambodian politicians must die and the bad Cambodian politicians must lead the country! Now I know how frustrate it is for dirt poor Cambodian people to demand some change from their Vietcong selected bad Cambodian leaders!
All Cambodian people can do for now is to wait for the day when all these Vietcong selected stupid Cambodian leaders die out! Otherwise the outside special economic interest from the outside world will force dirt poor Cambodian population to live under the same Vietcong selected stupid Cambodian leaders for many more years to come!
Good Cambodian politicians have no other options except to choose death over goodness!
for that amount of income, it seems very little to us, who live in developed countries, but to these people, that's a lot to them. Also, they able to save with that income.
We live in the U.S. driving nice cars and live in large homes, but in reality, we're are slave to loans and mortgages.
after watching "plastic killer" documentary,justice wasnt never serve for him.its such a shame,it showed every angle of the frame that the police did to cover their track.for people who havent seen it here the link :
http://plastic-killers.blip.tv/
i wish there a good spot for him in heaven.
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