PHNOM PENH, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's garment industry, the country's biggest income earner, recorded 2.06 billion U.S. dollars in export value in the first five months of this year, up 22 percent on the same period last year, a Commerce Ministry's report showed Tuesday.
Cambodian apparels are mainly sold to the United States and European countries, with some to Canada, Japan, South Korea and China.
Garment export accounts for more than 80 percent of the country 's total exports at present. Last year, the nation earned 4.6 billion U.S. dollars from garment exports, according to the report.
Some 510,600 workers are employed by about 500 factories in the industry, with their monthly minimum wage at 80 U.S. dollars on average.
Strikes for higher wages or better labor conditions are common seen in this country. According to a report by the Free Trade Union of Workers, last year, about 84,320 workers in 101 factories staged protests.
Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to workers not to stage protests to demand higher wages, warning manufacturers could quit their country for others with cheaper labor cost such as Myanmar, Bangladesh or India.
In the latest violent protest occurring earlier this month at Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment factory, which makes clothing for U.S. sports brand Nike, a clash broke out between strikers and police, and eight trade union officials and workers were arrested.