Nghe An businesses strive to find jobs for workers after Tet

Difficulties persisted after Tet, many businesses struggled to steer their companies through the "storm of lack of orders" to ensure business and production while retaining employees.

Employee retention

On the morning of January 30, on the first working day of the new year at VietGlory Company Limited (Dien Chau), more than 6,100 workers eagerly received lucky money envelopes before starting their shift. Accordingly, the company's leaders and union prepared 6,400 lucky money envelopes toNew Year's greetings and encouragement for workers on New Year's DayOn the day of the military operation, more than 300 workers were absent, all with legitimate reasons. This is in complete contrast to the collective work stoppage after the 2021 and 2022 Lunar New Year holidays that happened at this company.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong - Vice President of the Provincial Federation of Labor gives lucky money to workers of Great Longview Vietnam Co., Ltd. on the first working day of the year. Photo: Diep Thanh

Working with the Provincial Labor Federation, the Board of Directors of VietGlory Company Limited said: "Like other businesses, our company's business and production situation has decreased compared to previous years.

However, the company has been trying to find ways not to lay off any employees. In the immediate future, the company is receiving orders from other branches for production workers, giving workers more vacations, instead of just Sundays as before, now they also have Saturdays off. 2023 is expected to be difficult, but the company's leaders will try to maintain jobs for workers like this year."

Mr. Vu Duy Tu - Vice Chairman of Dien Chau District Labor Federation shared: "VietGlory Company Limited has made remarkable changes in labor relations. Although production and business are facing difficulties, the lives, incomes and rights of workers are all guaranteed.

According to the understanding of Dien Chau district, large-scale FDI enterprises are less affected in terms of the number of orders. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized Vietnamese enterprises face many difficulties, some are forced tocut hundreds of employees and extend Tet holiday.The District Labor Federation will be present at these units on the first day of deployment to grasp the situation."

Many textile and garment enterprises, despite facing difficulties, are still trying to find solutions to ensure jobs for workers. Photo taken at Minh Anh – Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company (Bac Vinh Industrial Park). Photo: Thanh Quynh

In Nghia Dan, although not escaping the “storm” of lack of orders, Mega Plastic Additives Joint Stock Company located in Nghia Long commune has made many efforts to create jobs for workers. Up to now, the company has been established for 11 years and has 230 employees. Last year, this was one of the enterprises that was assessed to ensure good jobs and welfare regimes for workers in the district.

Mr. Tran Van Tien - Director of the company shared that, in the general difficulties of the plastics industry when the market has many negative fluctuations, there were times when the company had difficulty finding orders. The peak of this situation occurred from the beginning of July to the end of September 2022. In order to retain workers, during those 3 months, the company was forced to make efforts to maintain two sources of payment. The first source is to ensure the basic salary to pay insurance for workers. The second source is to ensure the production plan for workers so that they can work from ½ to 2/3 of the time in the month. These working days are timed and paid in full and on time.

Mega Plastic Additives Joint Stock Company (Nghia Long Commune, Nghia Dan District) presents Mid-Autumn Festival gifts in 2022 to workers in difficult circumstances. Photo: CSCC

“Despite efforts to ensure benefits for workers, to be fair, workers’ incomes have decreased compared to the time before the crisis. Therefore, during that time, the Board of Directors and the Company’s Trade Union regularly organized talks and exchanges to grasp the thoughts and aspirations of workers. At the same time, we shared the difficulties that the business was facing so that they could understand and share, and accompany the company to overcome the challenges that were posed.

And then, at the end of the year, when the plastics market began to stabilize again, the company was immediately ready to join in. Tet benefits were thus ensured through the 13th month salary and gifts for workers in difficult circumstances at the Tet Sum Vay in the Year of the Cat.

Entering 2023, the company has received some encouraging signs when it started receiving large orders. Along with that, after investing in 2 more production lines last year, this year the company will begin to expand production and improve product quality. In the coming time, the company may even increase working hours and recruit more workers to meet the additional positions for the two new lines.

Overcoming the difficult period, Mega Plastic Additives Joint Stock Company (Nghia Long Commune, Nghia Dan District) has started receiving potential orders in the first months of the year. Photo: CSCC

In other localities in the province, many businesses have had a need to recruit new workers, especially electronics businesses. Many large investment projects in Nghe An have begun operating, forecasting to attract thousands of workers inside and outside the province. Therefore, workers need to grasp information to have a suitable choice for their work in the coming time.

No job loss

With the goal of not losing workers, many businesses accept to spend a certain amount of money to maintain production and create jobs for workers. They even accept orders with forced prices so that workers can continue to work.

That is the reality happening at Duc Phat Garment Enterprise (Nghia Tan Commune, Nghia Dan District). Mr. Dam Quang Tien - Chairman of the company's Trade Union shared, "Due to the impact of the economic crisis, many supply chains have been affected, so the price of input materials has increased. This has caused production costs to increase accordingly. However, customers do not accept the increase in product prices. This situation has prolonged, making it impossible for businesses to make a profit when maintaining production. Even when faced with a situation of being forced to lower prices, the company is forced to do so in order to create as many jobs as possible for workers. There have been times when the company had to advance money from customers before finalizing contracts to have a source of income to pay salaries to workers.

Entering 2023, the situation has not improved. The company continues to face many challenges and is forced to cut 10 more employees. The solutions that have been implemented are also very difficult to maintain in the long term, but at present it is difficult to find a more feasible direction...".

The Provincial Labor Federation and the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union grasp the labor and production situation at some enterprises with a large number of workers. Photo: Diep Thanh

Similarly, at Great Longview Vietnam Co., Ltd. (VSIP Industrial Park), the company's leaders are also struggling to maintain jobs for workers. Mr. Pham Dinh Hoa - Production Manager of the company said: "The situation has had a big impact, with few orders. Compared to other years, there are much fewer orders, and 100% of workers have returned to work, except for a few cases of leave. Many units are forced to postpone orders so that everyone has regular work and accept losses in profits to ensure workers' lives. However, to maintain long-term, a more effective solution is needed."

At some textile and garment companies in the province, the atmosphere is gloomy and gloomy as production activities are forced to temporarily stop due to lack of orders. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Looking at the whole province, the report on the labor relations situation at enterprises in the area of ​​Nghe An Labor Federation predicted that in the first quarter of 2023, enterprises will still face many difficulties due to many fluctuations in the world situation. In which, many units forecast that from now until the end of the year and the first quarter of 2023, there will still be no new orders.

To overcome difficulties and stabilize the situation, it is necessary to promptly deploy solutions to support production and business for enterprises. Along with that, it is necessary to perfect the labor market information system and focus on the ability to analyze and forecast the labor market during periods of fluctuation. Forms of job transactions are not only conducted directly but can also be conducted indirectly on digital technology platforms so that workers can easily find suitable jobs.

Comrade Kha Van Tam - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation presented gifts to workers in difficult circumstances at Bac Vinh Industrial Park. Photo: Thanh Quynh

For workers whose contracts have been terminated, it is necessary to develop and implement plans for labor use and vocational training support to improve skills or move towards job conversion. Avoid the situation where businesses take advantage of the situation to purge and push workers over 35 years old out of the business to recruit younger, lower-cost workers. From thereensure maximum legitimate benefits for workers in the province./.