Cambodia to negotiate next year’s minimum wage

Cambodia’s National Council on Minimum Wage will begin negotiating next year’s minimum wage for workers in the textile, footwear and garment industries in September.

Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training spokesman Heng Sour told The Phnom Penh Post that the negotiations may be conducted online. Worker unions and labour rights groups want the minimum wage to increase from US$192 to US$200 a month.

“So far, the unions have not yet set any figures for the negotiations because we are still doing the research. I can see that negotiations for this minimum wage are going to be hindered by the COVID-19 crisis, but we are ready to talk,” Cambodian Labour Confederation president Ath Thorn told the publication. 

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He added that the unions will try their best to negotiate a wage increase for all workers. Fa Saly, President of the National Trade Union Confederation, too, expects the minimum wage in 2022 to be increased to US$200.

“I expect that the government as well as employers will increase the minimum wage in 2022 to at least $200 a month and I am optimistic that it will reach this level,” he said.