Garment workers get salary hike<\/p>\n
PHNOM PENH (Reuters): Cambodian garment worker unions and
\nfactory owners have agreed an increase in the industry's monthly
\nminimum wage from US$40 to $45, ending weeks of mass walkouts and
\nat times violent demonstrations.<\/p>\n
\"We accept the raise of $5 a month and it means we will not
\nhold any more strikes or demonstrations this year,\" spokesman for
\nthe Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia
\nSrey Kimheang told Reuters on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"An increase of $5 a month isn't much, but we must accept it
\nbecause we've done our best to reach a settlement.\"<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached by Cambodia's Labor Advisory
\nCommittee, an arbitration body made up of representatives of
\nunions, industry and the Cambodian government.<\/p>\n
Garment industry representatives expressed satisfaction with
\nthe settlement.<\/p>\n
\"It's good news...this is the best we could do,\" Roger Tan,
\nSecretary General of the Garment Manufacturers Association of
\nCambodia told Reuters. \"The basic salary is just a guideline
\nbecause a lot of factories pay more than that anyway.\"<\/p>\n
A series of rotating strikes and violent demonstrations
\nbrought Cambodia's garment industry to a halt in late June by
\nworkers pressing for an increase in the minimum wage from $40 to
\n$70 and a reduction in the working week from 48 hours to 44
\nhours.<\/p>\n
Garments are Cambodia's largest source of foreign exchange,
\nwith 178 factories employing more than 100,000 workers.<\/p>",
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