Despite police and security forces’ blockades to discourage trade union members and workers to participate in a demonstration held on 25 July 2010 to challenge the Labour Advisory Council’s (LAC) endorsement for U$D 61.00 monthly minimum wage for garment workers, thousands of workers protested in front of the National Assembly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Towards the afternoon, the merely 200 workers who gathered at the gate of the National Assembly reached almost 3,000.

Last 8th of July, the LAC accepted to endorse U$D 61.00 monthly minimum wage for garment workers far too short from the union's demand for U$D 75 plus another U$D 5 for cost of living allowance. Based on a study released by the Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC), the ideal minimum wage would be U$D 71.99.

The leading trade union speaker, Ath Thorn, President of the Cambodia Labour Confederation (CLC) and Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU), declared that there is still a chance to challenge the LAC decision before the National Assembly, through the Prime Minister, officially issue to implement the proposed minimum wage. “From the day the minimum wage was endorsed by the LAC, we have decided to challenge it and sent feelers to other national federations to join our call. We also discussed this during the recently two-day conference on Cambodia Labour Movement attended by representatives and leaders of almost all national trade union confederations, alliances, national federations, BWI, UNI AP as well as Solidarity Support Organisations, Labour Networks and NGOs. And a joint statement to challenge the LAC decision was adopted as part of the Conference conclusion”, said Thorn.

Speaking on behalf of the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC- an affiliate of BWI), BWTUC Vice-President Van Thol extended his union’s support to challenge the proposed minimum wage. “Our presence here today demonstrates our support to the struggle of workers and trade unions in garment and apparel industries. While our members and workers in the construction and wood industries will not directly benefit from an increase in the minimum wage, we are certain that we can get inspiration and learn from this struggle as we also brace for our demand for minimum wage for construction and wood sectors" said Thol.

The daily wage of construction and wood workers in Cambodia is U$D 2.00.