"Unions request increase of nearly $12 ahead of minimum wage talks", 1 September 2020

Unions have settled on a recommended minimum wage increase of almost $12 ahead of three-party discussions with factory and government representatives that will determine the base salary for Cambodia’s garment and footwear industry workers for 2021.

Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW), said that at … meeting attended by representatives from about 20 major unions, it was decided to suggest a raise of $11.59…

“All unions agreed on the chosen minimum wage to discuss in three-party meetings …,” he said. “We agreed on the number $11.59, which amounts to a 6.1 percent raise.”

He said the unions’ recommendation had taken into account the effects of Covid-19 and cuts to the Everything But Arms (EBA) tariff-free trade agreement with the European Union,…

The minimum wage affects about 800,000 workers from more than 1,000 factories in the textile, garment, and footwear industries and was set at $190 per month for 2020...

Cambodian Labor Confederation President Ath Thorn said that although Covid-19 shutdowns and the EBA withdrawal has affected all parties this year, the minimum wage discussions will not affect workers until 2021, so their rising living expenses must be taken into account.

“Our unions’ stance is to increase minimum wages for workers because now their minimum wage is still low,” Thorn said.

… GMAC Deputy Secretary-General Kaing Monika said that Cambodia, like most other countries around the world, has faced an economic crisis due to Covid-19, a situation that has been exacerbated by the partial withdrawal of the EBA…