Situations Vacant
Position: Unskilled Garment Workers
Number of Positions Available: 50,000 minimum
Start date: Immediately
Salary: The minimum wage as set by the Cambodian government is $61 per month. Overtime pay and bonuses can take a worker's total pay to $100 a month.
Hours: 6 days a week with overtime as required.
Toilet breaks: Often timed, with pay docked for 'excessive' time taken.
Working Hazards: Workers should be aware that almost two thousand garment employees fainted while on the job last year. Reasons for this include hazardous chemicals, long hours combined with poor nutrition, panic attacks and mass hysteria.
Travel Time: Phnom Penh accommodation costs are high. Therefore workers are advised that they should commute to and from work everyday and that they should factor in an average travelling time of one hour- to an hour and a half morning and night.
Union membership: It is legal, although discouraged, for employees to be members of a union. Should there be a dispute and/or a strike expect to be abused and beaten by the police.Cambodia's garment exports continue to increase; despite poorly preforming western economies $4.24 billion of clothing and footwear was exported from the Kingdom last year compared to $2.88 billion in 2010.
But that figure could be much higher, with factory owners- who are predominantly Korean, Singaporean and Chinese- complaining that machinists and other workers are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
Once, these jobs were highly sort-after; despite the low wages and grinding lifestyle, the minimum wage earned keeps many a rural family in rice. But with other opportunities developing- especially overseas positions as maids- many young Cambodian woman are shunning the clothing industry.
Can't say I blame them.
Philip, the low wages in Cambodia compared to the high prices we paid for tuk tuks, food, hotels etc. was something we couldn't get our heads around...being there for only 10 days, maybe we needed longer to work it out.
ReplyDeleteOne of our drivers said he earned US$60 a month ($2 a day), on a salary from the hotel. Of course he received tips, but still, when his rent was $35 per month and his electricity, a whopping $15 per month, and with a wife and child, daily life must be a real struggle.
I could easily pay $5, more than twice his daily income, for a meal and a drink on and off the tourist track. It just doesn't seem to add up.
Hi Snap, nice to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteI'd be surprised if, all up, the driver wasn't earning twice what he said. But even that still makes it a real struggle, doesn't it?
I would guess that the rent is shared with any number of family members all sharing a few dingy rooms.
Tuk-tuk and moto drivers are one of the real annoyances of Phnom Penh if you live here a while; they are just so damn persistent, but using your example above you can see why.
(No comparison quality and variety wise between Thai and Cambodian street food, is there?)