Labor policy and administration
Minimum wage
Garment worker pageant troubles critics
Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour is bringing back a beauty pageant for garment workers, which unions and commentators have deemed a “regressive” distraction from deep-seeded inequalities in the sector. Keep reading ...
Factory bosses accused of firing labour leaders, ignoring arbitration rulings
Factory bosses are flying in the face of rulings by the arbitration council, ignoring orders to compensate or rehire axed staffers, according to worker representatives. Factory workers pin the root of the troubles, including abuse and mass firings, on the new minimum wage instituted in September. ...
Brands called out over pledges on minimum wage
A Labour Ministry official on 9 December called out international clothing brands for not fulfilling a pledge last year to increase the amount they pay for clothing to support minimum wage rises in Cambodia’s garment sector, according to a statement. Labour Ministry spokesman Heng Sour was speaking ...
Cambodia PM: Wage may be too high
After weeks of occasionally tumultuous negotiations saw 2016’s minimum wage for garment workers raised to $140 earlier this month, Prime Minister Hun Sen warned on 19 October that the new rate could cause factories to flee Cambodia, even though he was credited with personally intervening to ...
Cambodia's garment unions weigh protests
Garment workers unions unhappy with next year’s recently announced $140 minimum wage for the sector will meet this week to determine whether or not to hold demonstrations to protest the disappointingly low figure. The unions were pushing for $160 a month when the government announced the ...
LFTU's seventh congress concluded in Vientiane
The Seventh nationwide Congress of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) concluded on 15 October with the election of 49 members as the new Executive Committee to further oversee the tasks of the union. The congress elected Mr Pan Noymany as the President of the LFTU ...
Laos Federation of Trade Union's seventh congress underway in Vientiane
The seventh nationwide congress of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) opened on 14 October in Vientiane to summarise their work and plan for the year ahead as well as elect a new executive committee. Keep reading ...
LAC ups garment salary to $140
Following an at-times turbulent process, Cambodia on 8 October set the 2016 minimum wage for garment workers at $140 per month, a $12 increase from the current rate of $128 but well below union demands for $160. Labour Minister Ith Samheng announced that the government’s wage-setting group, ...
Factory hunger strike continues
Around 20 factory workers are still hunger striking while effective pay cuts and unpaid salaries continue, despite a government order that employers must implement the new minimum wage across all sectors. Workers at the Han Jen garment factory started the hunger strike on 5 October. They demand their ...
Cambodia's new garment sector minimum wage set at $140
The Cambodian government set the new monthly minimum wage for the country’s billion-dollar garment sector at $140 on 8 October—up from $128—more than what factory owners wanted but far less than the raise demanded by some unions. Keep reading ...
