Unions agree on minimum wage target
Following weeks of quarrelling, Cambodia’s garment unions on 29 September agreed to demand a monthly industry minimum wage of $168 – only to find themselves miles apart from employers who are refusing to consider an increase beyond the rate of inflation.
Leading up to ongoing tripartite minimum-wage talks slated to culminate in October, pro-government and independent unions debated between demanding $158 or $178 a month, with one league of independent unions even offering a target of $207 based on a survey of garment workers’ spending habits.
But on 29 September, 14 unions settled on the $168 figure after more than an hour of internal discussion, according to a statement released after the meeting.
