Some 200 workers at the Angkor Beer brewery in Sihanoukville yesterday went on strike for higher wages and an end to commission withholding on large sales.

According to a machine operator who asked not to be named, he and his fellow technicians maintain that their above-average training and technical know-how entitle them to $150 a month, a $30 increase over their usual monthly salary of $120.

“We want a raise of at least $30 more per person,” he said. “The price of all kinds of goods has increased, but our salary is stable. We are the technicians; at least we finished high school and went to technical school, but our salary is lower than a garment factory worker’s.”

The government-mandated minimum wage for garment workers is $100 a month, though some can earn upwards of $200 with overtime.

One sales and marketing employee who also asked not to be named said that the company didn’t pay commissions on large sales, and that negotiations had been under way since last month, only to break down yesterday.

Continue reading:Angkor Beer workers strike

Source: (The Phnom Penh Post – May 09, 2014)