Representatives of Cambodian garment workers led a peaceful protest on Sunday at the capital's Freedom Park for increasing salaries for the workers from the New Year.

"The protest is to demand the government to urge the garment manufacturers to raise the salary for a worker to $150 per month from the Year 2013," Yang Sophoan, president of Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions, said at the event.

Currently, the monthly minimum wage for a worker is $73 plus $10 attendance bonus.

Rong Chhun, president of Cambodian Confederation of Unions, said the current basic salary was very low and was not enough for a worker to pay for meals and house rent.

"We'd like to ask the Government and the National Assembly to urge employers to raise the salary for workers in order to relieve their difficulties," he said.

Meanwhile, 20 representatives of around 300 protesters marched from the Freedom Park to the National Assembly to submit a pay rise petition to the National Assembly's President Heng Samrin; then, continued to submit the petition to Prime Minister Hun Sen at his house.

Garment industry is the kingdom's largest income earner. The sector comprises more than 300 factories, employing some 335,400 workers--91 percent of them are female.

During the first ten months of this year, the country exported garment and textile products in equivalent to $3.82 billion, up 7.6 percent from $3.55 billion at the same period last year, according to a report of the Commerce Ministry.