The tripartite working group tasked with setting the minimum wage in Cambodia’s garment industry is slated to officially convene today, with the results of the negotiations to be announced on October 5 if all goes to plan.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Labour, the tripartite body’s members would meet until they reached an agreement and submitted a figure to the Labour Advisory Committee (LAC) for a final decision.

Ken Chhenglang, acting-president of the National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia, said yesterday that the working group would be composed of 48 members – 16 each representing the government, unions and employers – and added that the October 5 announcement was not set in stone.

“If the working group gets a result, the new minimum wage will be announced on October 5, but if they cannot find a point [of agreement], the working group will continue their discussions,” she said.

Some independent and government-leaning unions are still split on the figure they will push for in this week’s talks, with some advocating for $158, and others going as high as $178.