Global Brands Welcome Wage Rise

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Khmer Times/May Kunmakara

Major global brands that source from Cambodia welcome the recent rise in the basic minimum wage for the country’s more than 700,000 garment workers, representatives of three brands told Khmer Times yesterday. They have no plans to shift sourcing to other countries where wages are lower, they said.

“We support higher wages for garments workers and are positive to the recent raise,” Silvia Raccagni, a spokesperson for German apparel and footwear maker, told Khmer Times. “Our presence on production markets is always long-term and we will stand behind continued commitment in Cambodia,” Ms. Raccagni added.

“Cambodia is an important production market for H&M, and we see that we can contribute to jobs and reduce the unemployment in the country,” said Ulrika Isaksson, a spokesperson for Swedish retailer. Ms. Isaksson did not reveal, however, the amount of apparel it would buy from Cambodia, saying the company does not publicly disclose this information due to competition within supply chains. “Unfortunately, we cannot specify how much we buy or will buy, from different markets due to competitive reasons,” she said.

read more: http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/16958/global-brands-welcome-wage-rise/