Cambodian raises minimum wages

Published: 22 Mar 2013 at 20.49
Online news: News

Cambodia has raised the minimum wage for its garment workers by 20%, following a series of strikes over pay and conditions, but union leaders said on Friday it was not enough.

The monthly minimum wage for the hundreds of thousands of workers who make clothes for companies such as Levi Strauss of the US and Sweden's H&M will rise from $61 to $75 (2,200 baht), the government said.

Workers will also be given an additional $5 a month for healthcare, according to a government announcement on state-run television late Thursday. The increase will take effect from May 1.

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faranginkorat
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Discussion 5 : 25 Mar 2013 at 06.505
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I support higher wages in this case.
The last new Levi Silvertabs I looked at were $75 ten years ago, 3000 THB then and 2500 now.
An extra .25 per pair in labor costs won't hurt anybody.
I did not buy the ones I looked at 10 years ago.
Anericans throw them away after only a little use and I buy them used in Thailand for 100 THB per pair.
If Americans can afford to throw away perfectly usable clothes, they can afford to pay a fraction of a percent more for them. On the other hand, maybe that is part of the reason they can't save anything.
Working women should have a basic right of a living wage to raise their kids (after the father split
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ricefield
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Discussion 4 : 23 Mar 2013 at 08.384
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Disc 3 - If your business goes broke because you have to pay your workers minimum wage maybe your business deserves to go broke as it does not have a viable business plan to start with. IMHO.
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djjp
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Discussion 3 : 23 Mar 2013 at 05.353
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Can't compare apples and oranges johnb. Thai government was behind the wage hike push as a bribe to get votes, it was across the board (not just a certain sector of industry)and alot of companies went out of business because it was not sustainable. Cambodia - The people are behind the push and it is only the garment sector and I doubt that Levi Strauss and Sweden's H&M will go out of business because of it.
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kosal
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Discussion 2 : 23 Mar 2013 at 03.292
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I don't see how Cambodian workers can make a living with this wage. It cost almost $30.00 a month to rent a room to stay closed to the worksite... and they have to eat too. No money to send home...What a deplorable condition for Khmer workers! Thank you samdach hun sen for making khmer people struggle everyday.
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johnb
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Discussion 1 : 22 Mar 2013 at 21.201
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I suppose those who constantly criticise the Thai government will be out chastising the Cambodian authorities for unnecessarily putting up their wages
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Cambodian raises minimum wages | Bangkok Post: business