Cambodian PM asks workers not to demand higher wage hike

03 Oct '17

2 min read

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has asked garment workers not to demand a higher rise in the minimum wage. As garment workers in many Asian nations get paid lesser, workers should not demand a salary hike that employers may not afford, he told garment workers in Phnom Penh recently. Else factories could move to Myanmar, Bangladesh or Laos, he said.

Workers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka get $67 a month while those in Myanmar are paid $79 and those in Laos get $110, while the Cambodian government has proposed a minimum salary of $162.67 per month for 2018, he said. Employers have proposed $161 and trade unions want $176.25.

“I appeal to all workers to think about the long term. Do not kill the chicken so you can have one delicious meal. Instead, feed the chicken so it can lay eggs or produce chicks for the future,” Cambodian media reports quoted the prime minister as saying.

The prime minister has been meeting factory employees and workers in the last few weeks, promising populist benefits in what is seemingly an effort to garner backing for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) from a voter base long perceived to be sympathetic to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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