AKP, August 21, 2017 –Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has underlined the royal government’s attention to the improvement of the living standard of factory workers and employees.
Addressing at a get-together with 4,270 workers and employees from 93 different factories in Phnom Penh at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said next year the workers will receive at least US$160 as their monthly minimum wage, up from the current US$153.
Moreover, the premier ordered the Phnom Penh Municipality to provide free-of-charge public bus service for the workers for two years from August 2017 to August 2019.
At the same time, Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced that all factory workers and employees will get their monthly retirement pension from 2019 onward as the civil servants.
Besides, for the Social Security Schemes on Health Care, Samdech Techo Prime Minister affirmed that starting from January 2018, the employers will take full charge in paying into the health care scheme (currenly, the workers and employers were required to contribute 50% each). The Ministry of Health is advised to create health centre or referral hospital near the factories in order to provide easy access to healthcare services for the workers and employees.
“Employees and employers are life partners. They are inseparable,” he underlined, calling for mutual understanding when there are problems between them.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also called on all stakeholders to continue paying attention to the connection of water and electricity to the workers’ rented rooms as well as to pregnant workers.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training’s report, there are now about 1,107 factories in Cambodia, employing more than 740,000 workers, up from only 64 in 1998 with some 80,000 workers.
By Khan Sophirom
