Garment factories shut as workers’ strike

Protest and strikes have closed garment factories

in Cambodia after the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) informed all stakeholders that the industry is unable to continue operations as workers’ demand an increase in the minimum wage.

Garment workers in Cambodia held a rally over the weekend to protest over last week’s government announcement that the minimum wage would increase by 15 US dollars, which they state is too low and they are demanding the salary to be raised from 80 US dollars to 160 US dollars a month.

In a press release, the GMAC said: “Over the past few years, we have tried our best to remain operational amidst extremely difficult business and economic environment. We have also had to put up with numerous illegal strikes and militant behaviour of some trade unions.

 “However, since December 25, 2013, the illegal and violent actions of the six trade unions, including destroying of factory property, threatening workers who want to work, inciting workers to strike, forcing workers to stop work, etc. as well as their apparent impunity by the Ministry of Labor have left us with no other option but to close,” the statement concluded.

The GMAC has named six trade unions—Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.Cawdu), National Independent Federation of Textile Union in Cambodia (Niftuc), Collective unions of Movement of Workers (CUMW), Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC); Cambodian Confederation of Union (CCU), and Cambodian Alliance of Trade Union (CATU) for disrupting normal operations at garment manufacturing units.

The GMAC also added that due to the work stoppages that its members have not been able to meet production timetables, which has resulted in factories missing shipping schedules and unable to export their products that will see many penalised and subjected to fines by its buyers.