Fatalities reported after garment workers’ strik - sportstextiles: Lea SportsTextiles

News

Fatalities reported after garment workers’ strike in Cambodia

08/01/2014
The Cambodian Garment Manufacturers Association has accused local workers of causing losses of $200 million to the industry because of months of strikes.

Chairman of the association, Van Sou Ieng, has told local media that some buyers are threatening to cancel contracts or take legal action because of the losses.

Apparel is the Asian country’s biggest export industry; its estimated value for 2013 is $5 billion; it employs around 600,000 people, mainly young women from rural areas. Major sports brands including Puma and adidas, as well as fashion brands such as Gap and H&M source garments in Cambodia.

Garment workers won an agreement from the government in 2013 to increase the minimum monthly wage from $80 to $100, but trade unions have tried to push the figure to $160. Strikes continued into the new year, with clashes between striking workers and the police ending in five fatalities on January 3, local media have reported.



Related stories:

UN calls on brands to help Cambodian manufacturers absorb wage hike 06/01/2015
Progress in Cambodian garment factories, says ILO 04/07/2014
South African footwear unions end strike 25/06/2014
South African unions step up footwear strikes 09/06/2014
Brands meet Cambodian government to discuss labour issues 27/05/2014
Adidas supplier cements commitment to Cambodia 22/05/2014
Nike supplier strikes to continue 16/04/2014
Cambodia: Ventilation problems at Puma and adidas suppliers 04/04/2014

Sportstextiles.com cannot be held responsible for content if the language setting is changed from English.

The translations provided by Google Translate are automated and therefore might not be accurate and may contain incorrect, offensive or misleading language. We offer this facility as a guide only.