Pseng-Pseng
A Simple Case of
Lying or Ignorance
«ឯកអគ្គរដ្ឋទូតកូរ៉េគាត់ បានប្រាប់ខ្ញុំ (លោក ឈាង វុន) ថា ឯកអគ្គរាជទូតជប៉ុនបានសរសេរ ទៅឯកឧត្តម សម រង្ស៊ីរួចហើយ ដោយស្នើឲ្យគាត់ (លោក សម រង្ស៊ី) យកគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ ឲ្យចេញផុតពីកម្មករ ដើម្បីធ្វើយ៉ាងណាឲ្យសេដ្ឋកិច្ចកម្ពុជា រស់រវើក គេចង់ធ្វើនយោបាយ គេប្រកួតប្រជែងនយោបាយ គេមិនដែល យកសេដ្ឋកិច្ចមកធ្វើចំណាប់ខ្មាំងនោះទេ ព្រោះសេដ្ឋកិច្ច គឺជាជីវិតរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។»
«ប្រសិនបើស្ថានការណ៍កូដកម្ម របស់កម្មករនៅតែពុះកញ្ជ្រោលទៀតនោះ ក្រុមហ៊ុន ៦០របស់កូរ៉េ នឹងទៅដាក់ទុននៅ ប្រទេសឡាវវិញ ព្រោះ ឡាវប្រាក់ខែមានត្រឹមតែ ៧៨ដុល្លារ តែប៉ុណ្ណោះក្នុងមួយខែ។»
ឈាង វុន ប្រធានគណៈកម្មការ កិច្ចការបរទេស សហប្រតិបត្តិការអន្តរជាតិ ឃោសនាការ និងព័ត៌មាន នៃរដ្ឋសភា, 29 December, 2013
Unless Chheang Vun is misquoted,
then either Chheang Vun is lying or simply ignorant. The labour cost in Laos is
not lower than that of Cambodia.
According to China Briefing in June 2011, the
total labour cost for Cambodia is averaged at 672 International dollars per
worker per year; Laos, 1,157 International dollars. The average labour cost incorporates
all mandatory welfare allowances. The International dollar is a currency unit
used by economists and international organisations to compare values of
different currencies. It is adjusted to reflect currency exchange rates, purchasing
power parity (PPP), and average commodity prices within each country.
A more recent research study by Christopher W Runckel, a former senior
US diplomat who served in many countries in Asia, brings the figures more up to
date. In his comparative wages in Asia, the legal minimum daily wage to take
effect from tomorrow (1 January 2014) for Cambodia ranges from US$ 2.03 to US$ 2.05,
and for Laos from US$3.33 to US$ 4.08.
Hence, Chheang Vun is wrong about the comparative wages between those of
Cambodia and Laos. Is he also misleading about what the Korean ambassador he
says has told him?
If it is true that the
60 Korean firms Chheang Vun refers to rush to Laos, then the reason is not
because of the workers demand for a decent living, but possibly because the CPP
has not won the legitimacy to run the country.
But hundreds more of
the garment factories will stay put and expand, possible because they are
better informed than Chheang Vun that there is still a lot of money to be made
even after the workers win their case for a base wage of $160 per month.
Ung Bun Ang
31xii13
Spot on
ReplyDeleteEvidentially, the Viet-controlled HUN SEN regime corruption has been the root cause of all pains and sufferings of the Khmer people for the past 30 years! Hun Sen and his cronies can spin it and slice it however they want...Thanks to Pseng-Pseng for such facts and findings.
ReplyDeleteT. Keo
I'm not CPP nor am I disputing the points UBA has made but let me ask a simple question: why have a standard minimum wage in the first place? Surely the fairest wage for all - workers & employers alike - is one determined by the supply & demand in the labour market. the problem i have with the $160 wage demand is (1) is it justified by factor productivity (2) what will it do for everyone else who do not work for the garment industry and (3) what does that do to the financial performance & competitiveness of the garment industry taken as a whole. So far it seems the government side isn't economically literate enough to understand or explain to the average Cambodian that the increase is not justified by (1) above. Point (2) has a lot to do with inflation if the demanded raise is not justified by (1): the volume of USD money stock in Cambodia has to increase to such extent that it will spill over into average prices and those who do not work for the garment industry will suffer. Point (3) i don't know if Chheang Vun is right or wrong (he's usually wrong anyway, guaranteed!) but the competitiveness of OUR garment industry is vital in the stage of development we're in. i don't think a CNRP government can afford to see us losing out to Laos, Bangladesh, or more worryingly now, Myanmar.
ReplyDeleteA reply to Unknown 11:48AM - not to have a standard minimum wage and let loose the supply/demand labour market is allowing for more human abuse such as child labour which the CPP is likely to be more deaf and dumb about so as to increase their corruption practice. CPP or not matters very little but having a mouth piece like Chheang Vun is regretful to any human race - this guy is a walking liar ex shomeur from France. He knows nothing about anything. $160 per month is not excessive and losing out to Laos, Bangladesh or Myamar is not solely determined by wages - such things as previously indicated labour performance, productivity, consistent quality standard and control, operations, logistics etc.contribute.The question that needs answer is not the REASONABLE std min wage - it is the corruption practice of the CPP that gives businesses to other Asian countries.
DeleteGarment industry is an intensive labor industry that require no brain power and it is reserve for stupid people to work as slave whether they have enough for the future or enough to eat and that is the stupid people problem! God forbid if these stupid people have serious accident on the job and become handicap...if these stupid people become handicap and they will become throw away people! Does anybody give a fuck about these throw away people? Of course not! Who will care about them and they will live like animal and die like animal!
ReplyDeleteDon't work like slave and die like animal!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete1:11PM the reality for our average Khmer worker is that s/he is unskilled. the garment/textile industry is the classic starting point for so many economies that are now well advanced: UK/US/Japan in the 1880's Hong Kong in the 1940's - you name it that's, where mass employment is offered to a growing population, and where surplus labour is taken up. Most importantly that's how household savings grow quickly. When CNRP take over power, the new government will have to strike a balance between investors and workers, and cannot afford to alienate either side. Both sides are CNRP's natural allies because they are the ones that long term will provide/take up the jobs. In their unchecked greed taking a cut on the garment investors the CPP hasn't got the brains to woo workers to their side by offering higher wages, although they are marxists.
ReplyDeleteDear Sir/Madam,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input.
The minimum wage is necessary to give workers some minimum protection. There is only one employers’ organisation called GMAC to protect the interests of all the factory owners, while workers are represented by a dozen of workers unions. Guess who have an advantage in any negotiation? In a way, the current tussle is the interaction of supply and demand; yes, often strikes and demonstrations are part and parcel of the negotiation process necessary to settle disputes.
It is not clear if the $160 wage demand is justifiable from productivity perspective. GMAC has not released any relevant figures, let alone audited ones, for all to examine and discuss productivity. All they and Hun Sen do is summarily claiming they cannot afford the amount. It is clear, however, the demand will raise the workers living standard.
The extra wage, besides raising the workers living standard, will stay in the country and generates local economic activities further, instead of flowing to the employer’s country. Hence, it will benefit everyone in the local economy. You are right, though, that it may lead to some inflation, but this can be controlled by a rise in productivity (more data from GMAC are necessary to determine this). Also any improvement in living standard has to come with some level of inflation. And it is doubtful if the wage demand would ever lead to a run-away inflation in the local economy.
By the way, there are many better ways to attract foreign investments other than riding on the back of the workers in race to the bottom by keeping the wages the lowest in Asia.
UBA
12:48PM: If you talk to the rice farmers in Takeo, Kg Cham, Kg Thom there is actually a shortage of labour in those provinces - the farmers simply can't offer the basic minimum wage to unskilled workers, and they can't compete against the garment industry. For what used to be abundant labour force in the countryside available especially for harvest time has now moved into the factories. Now if the minimum base wage increases even further, how many of our rice farming communities will lose out? i bet it will be especially those young ones whom you have pity on who will lose out: (1) because of their ages, they won't get a job in the garment factories and (2) who will employ them except their own families. So raising the minimum wage is a double-edged sword. There will be winners, but there will also be losers.
ReplyDelete7:22PM i fear that in the rush to gain support there's a lot CNRP is promising to the workers, without doing the sums. i guess at this stage it's a bit of a luxury to be too careful when your opponent has the guns, the greed and the gall to mow you down when their position as "masters of the universe" is threatened.
ReplyDeleteIt's a simple fact of life that inflation will arise when wage growth exceeds growth in productivity. How you may ask. It boils down to the supply in new goods & services (i.e. from increased productivity) simply not keeping up with the increased demand behind the growth in wages.
Personally i'd like to see faster de-dollarisation, plus a decoupling of the Riel from the USD so that Cambodians will start to be paid in Riels instead. That way economic adjustment (via the terms of trade) can take place without workers suffering directly when there's a loss in general competitiveness.
sorry in the above i should have written "industry competitiveness", not "general competitiveness"
ReplyDeleteChheang Vun is Yuon. He is always Wrong for any nation. But he is Right for he is Yuon in a mission to destroy Khmers.
ReplyDeletesorry i'm rambling on a bit now, but i deplore the lack of discussion in matters that affect our people's economic well-being. The CPP modus operandi is one that lacks basic economic sense from the nation's perspective. And for good reason: they fail to look beyond "what's in it for me and my patch of paradise?", a conduct unbecoming of true statesmanship. Some time you feel like screaming "Man you are putting your feet on the accelerator AND the brakes".
ReplyDeleteThe same for the $160 demand. Not saying that it's fair, it's un-deserved or anything whatsoever - just that in the current climate it' impossible to start a slogan-free discussion. The lack of communication with workers on wage & incomes policy simply shows the incompetence of this illegal government.
the Unknown Rambler