Union, employers fail to reach agreement in latest minimum wage talk
The National Committee for Minimum Wage of Labor Ministry has a meeting on Friday. Labor Ministry
- Phoung Vantha
- September 6, 2019 3:34 PM
Talk on the minimum wage between Cambodian union and factory owners has ended without an agreement as both side still differ on the amount to be raised for next year, a government official said Friday.
During the latest round of talk that began on August 29, union representatives demanded the monthly minimum wage to be increased to US$199 from currently US$182, said Heng Sour, spokesman of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training.
But the employers, he said, were prepared to offer only US$184, which is US$15 lower than the figure tabled by the union.
Heng Sour said both sides are scheduled to meet again on September 12.
“I believe both parties will be able to figure out ways to reach a solution in the upcoming meeting,” he said.
Som Oun, president of the National Union Alliance Chamber of Cambodia which represents around one million workers, said that an acceptable agreement can be reached “if the employers increase a little and we decrease a little” in their respective proposals in the next round of talk.
The current minimum wage for factory workers is US$182 a month compare to US$170 in 2018.
