Four subcommittees formed by the Ministry of Social Affairs met on Friday to begin establishing a new minimum wage for garment workers that will go into effect next year.

Following the meeting, Social Affairs Minister Ith Sam Heng told reporters that factory production rates, garment worker income and employee living expenses would be used to determine a proposed wage rate.

“They have one month to research and submit [a proposal] for the new minimum wage,” Sam Heng said, adding it would be agreed upon by November and that the subcommittees include union representatives as well as members of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia.

The social affairs and labour ministries will jointly determine the salary for the country’s 400,000 garment workers. The discussion of base pay will also encompass the tourism, industrial and transportation sectors and is slated to begin today.

Bolstering the minimum wage will directly impact social unrest, alleviating issues that lead to protests, Som Aun, president of the National Union Alliance Chamber of Cambodia, said yesterday.