Ministry drafting new minimum wage law to cover all workers
The Labour Ministry said last week it was drafting a minimum wage law that would expand beyond the garment industry and cover all workers, a proposal that drew cautious praise from union leaders and advocates, along with a healthy dose of scepticism. The proposed law, revealed on October 27 by Labour Minister Ith Samheng via his Facebook page, was decidedly light on details but called for the creation of a National Wage Council to provide recommendations for the expanded monthly salary requirement. There was no mention of when the law would be ready or how it would be implemented. Currently, only garment and footwear workers are entitled to a $140 monthly minimum wage, which will increase to $153 beginning in January. Ministry spokesman Heng Sour, who could not be reached on October 30, said in a text message sent to journalists on Friday that the new law would be implemented in a “step-by-step” manner across sectors, depending on their social and economic development.
