"Unions, gov’t gear up for talks to revise minimum wages", 26 July 2022

Trade unions are gearing up for a meeting with the Ministry of Labour, to negotiate on revising minimum wages for factory workers in the wake of skyrocketing prices.

The unions working in these sectors claim that workers want a wage hike between $20 and $50 next year, considering the rise in living costs. They are also preparing a report to negotiate the needs of the workers when they meet with the authorities.

According to a press release issued by the MoL …, the Ministry will schedule a date to negotiate the minimum wages in the textile, garment and footwear industries etc for 2023. The decisions taken during the upcoming meeting will come into effective on January 1, 2023.

Ath Thorn, president of Cambodian Labour Union (CLC Cambodia), said yesterday that so far, his union had met with workers and union representatives from more than 50 factories to prepare a series of questionnaire to know the needs of the workers.

The unions have explained the representatives of workers in some factories about the process of negotiating wages, labour rights and the implementation of social security pensions. They quoted the opinions and requests of the workers, and also met with stakeholders to compile a report on the upcoming 2023 minimum wage negotiations…

… Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) Secretary-General Ken Loo, said, “We have not had a meeting yet, the ministry is preparing and I do not have more information on it. We have to wait for the results of the previous meeting until October.”