Cambodian gov't holds meeting to help solve garment workers' strike

Cambodian workers went on strike in Phnom Penh over wage increase.

People's Daily Online
September 27, 2010

A committee will be set up to help solve the dispute between stakeholders and garment workers, a Cambodian official said on Monday.

after a meeting with about 60 stakeholders, Ith Samheng, minister of social welfares, veterans and youth rehabilitation said that it has been agreed that a committee will be set up to help end the dispute over wages and allowance for garment workers.

The Cambodian government held the meeting with representatives from garment factories and labor unions to seeking way to resolve garment workers' strikes that had happened on Sept. 13-16.

The government also urged the two confronting parties to put an end to any strikes.

At Thon, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union claimed that about 210,000 workers from 95 factories had joined the strikes, demanding their proper salary from the current offer of 61 U.S. dollars to 93 U.S. dollars per month.

However, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia ( GMAC) acknowledged that 30 factories in the garment and footwear industry suffered during the four days of strikes and demonstration which were joined by about 20,000 workers.

Days after the strikes temporarily put off, Cambodia's garment association claimed a total loss of about 15 million U.S. dollars.

The four-day strikes ended after the government had pledged to organize a meeting on Sept. 27 between union leaders, representatives of garment workers and their employers.

At present, garment industry employs about 300,000 Cambodians, mostly women, in more than 300 factories around the country.

GMAC is representing all exporting garment factories in Cambodia.

Source: Xinhua