At least three people were killed in Cambodia on Friday when police opened fire on textile factory workers.<br /><br />Human rights workers said security forces were armed with rifles and pistols. They shot at demonstrators who threw rocks, bottles and petrol bombs outside a factory in the capital, Phnom Penh.<br /><br />The workers are demanding a pay increase as part of a nationwide strike.<br /><br />The government has offered to raise the minimum wage from 58 euros a month to the equivalent of 70 euros a month. Unions have rejected that.<br /><br />Many big brands outsource clothing and footwear manufacturing to Cambodia, because of cheap labour costs.<br /><br />Garment manufacturing is Cambodia’s biggest foreign currency earner, a major employer and a vital source of income for many rural families who complain they can barely survive on the wages that are lower than neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.<br /><br />Jeans made in Cambodia usually sell in Europe and the United States for a higher price per pair than the workers’ 58 euros a month income.
