Southeast Asian Multinational Garment Workers Demand Salary Increase

according to U.S.A On the 16 day, workers in Asia's clothing production centers with the cheapest cost of labor are struggling to get higher pay, while some foreign large clothing brands say they are willing to help workers increase their salaries.

Reported that the clothing industry in Kampuchea amounted to 5 billion 500 million US dollars. Here, a number of European retailers, including h&m and Zara's parent company inditexsa, wrote to the government of Kampuchea in September, promising to pay more money to owners of local factories so that they could raise their wages.

This is a new strategy for large retailers. They usually avoid participation in salary negotiations, and say that discussions are the representatives of government, manufacturing enterprises and workers.

and U.S.A Welsh, director of the Kampuchea project, a NGO "solidarity center" affiliated to the Federation of labor unions and the Federation of industrial organizations, said that this is unprecedented and that these companies have finally admitted that they play a role in this.

Reported that in recent years, as China's wage levels rose sharply, foreign retailers have moved factories to Kampuchea, Bangladesh and other countries. But the recent series of factory accidents and the intense clashes between local police and workers have increased the pressure of global brands, prompting them to play a more active role in securing a safer working environment and higher salaries.

Last year, The People's Republic of Bangladesh A building collapsed, killing 1100 workers. This has triggered global concern for the country's environment. Then, in January of this year, Kampuchea police opened fire on workers demanding higher wages, resulting in at least 4 deaths and dozens of injuries.

In December last year, the government of Bangladesh raised the minimum wage by 70% to 68 dollars per month. But now the Kampuchea workers' representative asked the government to raise the minimum monthly salary of domestic garment workers in 2015 to US $177 from 100 US dollars.

The country's clothing workers usually work six days a week and work 60 hours a week, including overtime. But clothing manufacturers emphasize that they have paid much higher salaries than other industries such as agriculture. The world bank data show that last year Kampuchea's per capita GDP was 1000 dollars, ranking the lowest in the world.

The debate triggered an uproar in Kampuchea, which has about 600 thousand people in the Southeast Asian countries. Hong Sen, Prime Minister of Kampuchea, warned last week that excessive wage increases would hurt the industry which accounts for about 80% of Kampuchea's total exports.

For most of this year, the Kampuchea authorities have banned large-scale public gatherings. In May, a court in Phnom Penh sentenced 23 workers and activists who took part in the January demonstration to suspend their execution. The new round of wage negotiations has recently started, but no progress has been made.

European retailers wrote to Kampuchea Deputy Prime Minister Ji Chun in September 18th, a copy of the letter showed that retailers promised to pay higher prices for clothing, and urged the government to ensure that factories comply with minimum wage regulations.

Welsh said the workers' organization now requires us retailers to make similar commitments. Gap, a US purchasing giant, said the company had regular contacts with the authorities on the situation in Kampuchea. The company said in a statement that they urged the government of Kampuchea to quell labor disturbances and wage problems. A spokesman for Levi's said the company supported the rapid announcement of the new minimum wage to meet workers' demands.