"Minimum wage talks kick off Aug 15", 7 August 2022

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training will convene a tripartite meeting … to negotiate a 2023 minimum wage in the garment sector. The meeting will be attended by workers’ representatives from trade unions and factory owner representatives.

In a notice, the ministry said the meeting of the National Council on Minimum Wage (NCMW) will be convened at the ministry …

“The meeting will involve the presentation of updated figures of formal data and reputable academic research on social criteria – such as household status, inflation rates and the cost of living – and economic criteria, including productivity, competitiveness of the country, the labour market situation and sectoral profitability,” the notice said…

Cambodian Labour Confederation president Ath Thorn said that workers’ representatives from major trade unions had met … to negotiate a 2023 minimum wage.

“We are collecting figures from stakeholders such as ministries and international institutions. We have received some preliminary figures, but we cannot release them yet because some documents lack verification. When we have arrived at a final figure, we will release it,” he said.

He added that he expected the 2023 minimum wage to increase due to three main factors –a high cost of living, strong performances from the textile and garment sectors, …

…, Kaing Monika, deputy secretary-general of Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, the apex trade body for the industry, acknowledged the difficult situation facing the Kingdom’s workers and the delicate balance between supporting their living conditions and improving the industry’s competitiveness…