Unions were cautiously optimistic after meeting Cambodian ministers to press for higher wages, trade union laws and the release of jailed workers.

Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon hosted a meeting in Phnom Penh on Wednesday including various ministers, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), other union federations and retailers including H&M and Gap.

A strike by garment workers last month was violently put down, leaving four dead, 39 injured and 23 workers in jail.

Two have since been released and 16 of the remaining detainees are on hunger strike.

"The meeting in Phnom Penh is a step towards constructive dialogue aiming for a sustainable garment industry in Cambodia," said ITUC human and union rights director Steve Benedict.

"This includes a continued minimum-wage reform and freedom of association."

Along with the ITUC and union confederation Uni, manufacturing workers' federation IndustriAll has spearheaded solidarity protests with the jailed workers across the globe.

General secretary Jyrki Raina was cautiously optimistic after the meeting but warned that workers "cannot underestimate the challenges that lie ahead."

Cambodia's growing garment industry accounts for 80 per cent of its exports and is worth about £3 billion a year - but workers' living standards have been slow to improve.

The government also indicated that it plans to introduce a trade union law in line with International Labour Organisation standards.