Cambodia will raise the minimum monthly wage for garment workers to $140, an increase of nearly 10%, that arrives after strikes and protests and eight days of negotiations in a committee representing employers, workers and the government. The new wages take effect at the beginning of next year.
The clothing and footwear industry is Cambodia’s biggest exporting segment, with more than 700 garment and shoe factories that employ 700,000 people.
But even with this raise wages in Cambodia remain low. «I am not satisfied with this new wage», said Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, who took part in the negotiations. «I think the net salary of each garment worker should be at least $150 per month, not $140 as cited by the Labor Ministry».
