"Workers’ minimum wages on table", 15 August 2021

The National Council on Minimum Wage (NCMW) will begin negotiating the 2022 minimum wages for workers in the textile, garment and footwear sectors in September, according to Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training spokesman Heng Sour.

Worker unions and labour rights groups believe that the minimum wage in the sector should increase from $192 to $200 a month…

… Cambodian Labour Confederation president Ath Thorn told … that the unions were conducting research and gathering data in order to reach a figure that they would request as the wage increase for workers in 2022.

“So far, the unions have not yet set any figures for the negotiations because we are still doing the research. I can see that negotiations for this minimum wage are going to be hindered by the Covid-19 crisis, but we are ready to talk,” he said.

… Fa Saly, president of the National Trade Union Confederation, said he expects the minimum wage in 2022 to be increased to $200.

“I expect that the government as well as employers will increase the minimum wage in 2022 to at least $200 a month and I am optimistic that it will reach this level,” he said.

… According to the ministry, during the negotiations all sides use legal arguments, scientific research and economic criteria like the rate of inflation and the cost of living, productivity, competitiveness, labour market conditions and levels of profit in the sector as the basis for their arguments about the minimum wage…