Cambodia

Cambodia's garment factories have indicated they will reject demands for an increase in the minimum wage next year, angering unions and risking upheaval in a crucial economic sector for years dogged by unrest.

A survey distributed among members of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, which represents more than 500 factories, showed 63 percent of members want no raise and 26 percent support only marginal increases of $1 to $5.

It comes ahead of talks next month between the government, factories and unions to address demands for a sharp increase from the current monthly $128 minimum to $177.

Cambodia gained unwanted attention this month when four people were shot at a garment factory outside of Phnom Penh amid a strike over higher wages. Chinese billionaire Ma Jianrong's Shenzhou International, a supplier to Nike, Uniqlo and Adidas, temporarily shut production at a facility there as a result. Cambodia's problems followed a factory building collapse in Bangladesh last year that killed hundreds.

Industrial Revolution II, a garment supplier whose backers include movie star Matt Damon, has touted its wish to balance shareholder interests and social progress. I exchanged with CEO and co-founder Rob Broggi, a former hedge fund executive