This increase includes a $2 adjustment decided during the final round of negotiations between employers and unions, with an additional $2 added at the instruction of Prime Minister Hun Manet, according to domestic media reports.

Three figures were proposed at the meeting: $206, $208 and $214. The majority voted for $206, an increase of $2, which was then raised by another $2 at the direction of the prime minister.

Minister of labour and vocational training Heng Sour told a press conference that the agreed-upon figure allows workers to retain their jobs while enabling employers to maintain productivity.

The government will continue to intervene to manage housing rents and utility bills to improve workers’ living conditions, Sour said.

Kim Chansamnang, a union representative, meanwhile, appealed to landlords not to raise house rents.

The number of factories in the sector is over 44,000 now. Minimum wages have increased from $40 in 1997 to $204 in 2024.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)