Thursday, 3 April 2008

Workers, Factories Agree to Salary Increase


By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 April 2008

Khmer audio aired April 2 (793KB) - Download

Union workers and garment factory managers agreed in principle Monday to a wage increase, averting a proposed strike at scores of factories.

Unions had threatened to strike if salaries were not increased $5, to $55 per month, in the face of rising prices, but officials said Wednesday they had agreed to a $6 per month raise.

The "allowance" would not a raise in the minimum wage, but was an extraordinary measure given the current costs of living, officials said.

Workers and management are expected to meet Friday to officially agree to the deal.

"The salary increase to $60 per month from the government to the workers makes me very happy, although it is a small increase compared to the high prices in Cambodia," said Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union. "But the increase in salary will reduce the impact of the cost of living."

At least one worker, however, said the increase would to little in the face of Cambodia's rising prices.

"I think that it's not enough to increase to salary to $6 per month, because right now we receive $50, and if we increase $6 more, this is a small amount," said Man Channa, a garment worker at the PCCS factory. "We cannot compare this with the high prices in Cambodia, and our living conditions still have problems, with water, house fees and food."

1 comment:

siemreap215 said...

I been working in one company about 15 years and 12 hours a day seven days a week.From 7.pm to 7.30 am in the morning and i got home at 9.am every day,because lots of traffics took me two hours to get home everyday.Only couple hours i saw my wife and my kids.I never complain about that,because working hard for living to get anything for my family.So please all of our khmer people working in company don't do any wrong with the company law,If someone do anything against the company law the company will fire of you,If you get fire you can't have money to support your family and you will do anything wrong against Cambodia law,because you don't have money to feeding your family.
Please don't do anything wrong!!
Thank you so much to all of our khmer people and i wish everything coming good to all of our khmer people during Cambodian new year coming soon on the couple week.