Warning over productivity of Cambodia's garment sector
31/05/2016
The GMAC quoted figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that revealed a 14% drop in labour productivity for the garment and footwear sector between 2011 and 2014. GMAC secretary general Ken Loo added that a lack of “improvements or significant changes in the industry” suggest that this decline is likely to have continued in 2016.
The association has initiated talks with Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training to launch a campaign to improve labour productivity in the sector, which employs approximately 700,000 workers.
“Everyone has to do their part in order to keep our industry as healthy as it can be in the current global competitive environment,” Mr Loo said.
Training Cambodian farmers to grow cotton so it doesn’t need to be imported from other countries is one way to reduce production costs, according to Moeun Tola, executive director of labour rights group Central. He said that growing cotton domestically would also result in an increase in jobs.
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