Unions set deadline for strike
Garment Unions and Teacher Association have always demanded garment factory owner and government to raise monthly salary to workers and teachers, who have been paid only $45 and $30 per month respectively, in an attempt to improve their living standards.
Recently, 17 Unions will set an October 30 deadline to garment factories to raise the industry’s minimum wage to the acceptable level. If garment factory owners will not meet the unions’ demand, they will go on strike. The deadline was set following the meeting between manufacturers and Unions leaders was unsuccessful the last round Saturday. Before Unions demanded manufacturers to rise around $80 monthly wage to garment workers.
In the wake of many negotiations, the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) offered a $2.75 increase to the $45 a month minimum wage per month but Unions did not agree with manufacturers. At the last negotiation, Unions lowered monthly minimum wage demand from $80 to $63.
The Cambodia Daily quoted GMAC Chairmen as saying he called the union deadline “unethical.†He added that “one negotiating partner should not threaten another.â€
Free Trade Union President Chea Mony said he is still willing to give GMAC more time but wants the next round of talks to occur sooner than the Oct 20 date proposed by October 20. He said if the GMAC talks fail and a strike ensues, unions would like seek separate wage agreement with individual factories.
The CPP-affiliated Cambodian Union Federation Mom Thol said that all unions agreed on the new negotiation deadline. He used to say that “GMAC doesn’t want to raise the wages.â€
In addition, GMAC’s president said that unions claims that workers cannot survive on $45 alone are nonsense. Adding that, every day 300,000 workers go to work in the garment factories, if they could not live on that they would not go.
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