“It’s not just increasing the monetary amount of the minimum wage, but looking at subsidizing where most of those expenses go to, and, currently, most of those expenses go to sub-standard housing and food for sub-standard nutrition that’s provided to workers,” said David Welsh, Solidarity Center Cambodia program director.

While the decision for next year’s floor salary lies with the Ministry of Labor’s Labor Advisory Committee (LAC), not the National Assembly, a larger support base for raised wages could help sway members of the committee to agree upon a number that unions find suitable, said Dave Welsh, country director for labor rights group Solidarity Center.

Workers in Asia’s cheapest garment-production hubs are increasingly agitating for better pay, and some big foreign clothing brands say they are willing to help finance wage increases. “It’s unprecedented. It’s a recognition of the role they play,” said David Welsh, Cambodia program director for the Solidarity Center.