| English.news.cn 2013-12-27 20:06:35 |
   
 
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PHNOM PENH, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Minister of Labor Ith
Samheng on Friday afternoon held an urgent talk with the representatives
of six pro-opposition trade unions after they have led tens of
thousands of workers off work in protest against low wage increase for
2014.
As the meeting was going on, several thousands of protesting workers rallied in front of the Labor Ministry to wait for the results. "After a two-hour talk, both sides agreed to re-start a negotiation on minimum wage increase on Monday, Dec. 30," Rong Chhun, president of Cambodian Confederation of Unions who represented a trade union, told reporters after the meeting.
The Labor Ministry issued a statement after the meeting, saying that an additional talk between the trade unions and the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) will be held on Monday morning. "The Ministry would like to suggest all trade unions and employees to return to work, pending the results of the forthcoming talk," the statement said. "The Ministry also condemns any actions that lead to the damage of private and public properties."
However, Rong Chhun said the strikes would not be ended unless the government and the factory owners double their minimum wages to 160 U.S. dollars a month from 2014.
Garment industry, the country's largest foreign currency earner, comprises about 500 factories employing some 510,600 workers. The sector earned 5 billion U.S. dollars in the first eleven months of this year.
Tens of thousands of garment workers have gone on strikes nationwide since Wednesday after the government decided to raise a monthly minimum wage in the garment sector to 95 U.S. dollars from April onwards from the current 80 U.S. dollars, but the pro- opposition trade unions said the increase was too low to accept.
On Friday morning, anti-riot police and protesting workers clashed for a short time at the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone, leaving at least 3 police officers and 4 workers injured.
According to Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, the clash happened when a few thousands of striking workers blocked the National Road No. 4 in front of the zone on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and hurled stones at police and factories.
"These were illegal acts, we have to crack down on them, we could not allow them to cause anarchy and chaos," he said.
Yim Saran, police chief of Po Sen Chey district, where the zone is located, said protesting workers had opened the road and returned home as the sun set, but they vowed to return on Saturday.
The GMAC on Thursday asked all factories to temporarily stop production operations this week due to concerns over security and safety.
"If the workers are working in the factories, some bad elements of the demonstrators will go around and destroy your factories gates and properties in order to force the workers out to join the demonstration to demand the wage of 160 U.S. dollars," a GMAC's statement said. "It is safer if there are no workers in the factories."
Sam Rainy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party ( CNRP), who has led a new round of daily protests against the Prime Minister Hun Sen's government since Dec. 15 following the July's disputed election, has incited striking workers to join his anti- government protests.
On Thursday, he led around 18,000 striking garment workers and anti-government activists through streets in capital Phnom Penh in order to call on Prime Minister Hun Sen to step down and hold a re- election.
"If the Cambodia National Rescue Party comes to power, we will increase the worker's wage to 160 U.S. dollars per month," Sam Rainsy promised with protesting workers.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said last Friday that he would neither step down nor call a re-vote since he has done nothing wrong.
As the meeting was going on, several thousands of protesting workers rallied in front of the Labor Ministry to wait for the results. "After a two-hour talk, both sides agreed to re-start a negotiation on minimum wage increase on Monday, Dec. 30," Rong Chhun, president of Cambodian Confederation of Unions who represented a trade union, told reporters after the meeting.
The Labor Ministry issued a statement after the meeting, saying that an additional talk between the trade unions and the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) will be held on Monday morning. "The Ministry would like to suggest all trade unions and employees to return to work, pending the results of the forthcoming talk," the statement said. "The Ministry also condemns any actions that lead to the damage of private and public properties."
However, Rong Chhun said the strikes would not be ended unless the government and the factory owners double their minimum wages to 160 U.S. dollars a month from 2014.
Garment industry, the country's largest foreign currency earner, comprises about 500 factories employing some 510,600 workers. The sector earned 5 billion U.S. dollars in the first eleven months of this year.
Tens of thousands of garment workers have gone on strikes nationwide since Wednesday after the government decided to raise a monthly minimum wage in the garment sector to 95 U.S. dollars from April onwards from the current 80 U.S. dollars, but the pro- opposition trade unions said the increase was too low to accept.
On Friday morning, anti-riot police and protesting workers clashed for a short time at the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone, leaving at least 3 police officers and 4 workers injured.
According to Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, the clash happened when a few thousands of striking workers blocked the National Road No. 4 in front of the zone on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and hurled stones at police and factories.
"These were illegal acts, we have to crack down on them, we could not allow them to cause anarchy and chaos," he said.
Yim Saran, police chief of Po Sen Chey district, where the zone is located, said protesting workers had opened the road and returned home as the sun set, but they vowed to return on Saturday.
The GMAC on Thursday asked all factories to temporarily stop production operations this week due to concerns over security and safety.
"If the workers are working in the factories, some bad elements of the demonstrators will go around and destroy your factories gates and properties in order to force the workers out to join the demonstration to demand the wage of 160 U.S. dollars," a GMAC's statement said. "It is safer if there are no workers in the factories."
Sam Rainy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party ( CNRP), who has led a new round of daily protests against the Prime Minister Hun Sen's government since Dec. 15 following the July's disputed election, has incited striking workers to join his anti- government protests.
On Thursday, he led around 18,000 striking garment workers and anti-government activists through streets in capital Phnom Penh in order to call on Prime Minister Hun Sen to step down and hold a re- election.
"If the Cambodia National Rescue Party comes to power, we will increase the worker's wage to 160 U.S. dollars per month," Sam Rainsy promised with protesting workers.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said last Friday that he would neither step down nor call a re-vote since he has done nothing wrong.
Editor:
Fu Peng
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