Low minimum wage, many workers do not want to be workers

Squeezing for a minimum standard of living

Following the workers to the market in front of the Matrix Company Limited (Bac Vinh Industrial Park), we can see that the workers here choose street stalls, buy cheap but not delicious food. Ms. Phan Thi Huyen - a worker at Matrix Company Limited, from Yen Thanh shared: "My average income including extra work is 5 - 5.5 million VND/month, minus the rent of 500,000 VND/month, I have to spend sparingly to be able to save money to send home to raise my children. Most of us workers come home from work almost at night, then just go across the street to buy some meat or eggs, tofu, and vegetables to eat for a meal."

Dong Nam Economic Zone union officials grasp the thoughts and feelings of workers at the boarding house. Photo: PV

Sharing together, the workers atboarding housealso only eat an average of 10,000 - 13,000 VND/meal. In general, most workers' meals only have rice, soup, a few pieces of meat or tofu, braised fish. The menu is poor, the food is not guaranteed and only meets the nutritional needs of rice flour, not ensuring the necessary nutrients. Although they all understand that if this situation persists, it will greatly affect their health, these workers have no other choice.

Staying with her daughter to help take care of her 10-month-old grandchild, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen (60 years old, from Ky Son) said: “My daughter is a worker at a garment company in Bac Vinh Industrial Park, working hard from 7am to 6pm but the total salary and overtime pay is only about 5.5 - 6 million VND. This amount of money is used to cover the cost of raising 2 grandmothers and grandchild, food, milk for the baby, diapers, rent, electricity, water... Whenever the company does not work overtime, life is extremely difficult and miserable.”

Workers face many difficulties because of low wages. Photo: PV

At VSIP Industrial Park, many worker families including 2 parents and 2 small children live together in a rented room of more than 10 square meters, priced at 1.5 million VND/month, extremely cramped. The average total income of the couple ranges from 10 to 14 million VND/month, of which the cost of raising 2 children (1 child is 4 years old, 1 child is 2 years old) is already 5-6 million VND. "We have to send our first child to his grandparents, the income must be divided into rent, living expenses for 3 people, and the money sent back to support the grandparents to raise the child, so we cannot save much, even though we try to work extra. When all family members are healthy, it is still okay, but if unfortunately one person gets sick, family life will be turned upside down, we have to borrow money from outside to cover daily living expenses as well as medical treatment, not to mention having to take care of elderly parents in the countryside" - a woman shared.

Mr. Pham Van Dung - a worker in the South who returned to Nghe An during the 2021 epidemic shared: "Currently, the salary,average incomeThe average salary of workers in Nghe An is still 3-5 million VND lower than in many other provinces and cities across the country, while the consumer price and living expenses in Nghe An are still high compared to many other localities across the country. For example, in Binh Duong, a bowl of pho costs only 15,000 VND, in Nghe An, a bowl of pho costs 25,000 VND, and the rent is also more expensive. I have been working in a company in Nghe An for 5 days and decided to quit. I will rent a room anyway, so I will look for a job opportunity with a better income.

Representatives of the Provincial Federation of Labor, the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone and the Trade Union of the Southeast Economic Zone worked with the enterprise. Photo: PV

In the industrial zones under the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone, there are currently 132 enterprises with a total of 34,000 employees, of which 70% of enterprises pay wages according to the regional minimum wage, 30% of enterprises pay higher than the regional minimum wage from 100,000 - 600,000 VND/month, in addition, enterprises pay additional allowances for diligence, seniority, fuel, housing, etc. The average total income including salary and allowances excluding overtime is from 4.4 million to 5 million VND. The average total income including overtime is from 5 million to 7.5 million VND. With the income including overtime, workers have enough to spend sparingly on essential needs such as food, food, housing rent, transportation, and childcare, so workers' lives are extremely difficult. A life of deprivation is also a factor that has a great impact on workers' morale.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, the owner of the house at 394 Dang Thai Mai Street, said: "Workers who stay in rented houses have a very difficult life, low salary, difficult epidemics and often have to go home to ask for "aid" rice, vegetables, meat... every weekend. In many cases, after giving birth, there is no place to take care of children so they leave the industrial park to return to their hometown to raise their children. Also because of low salary, workers try to work extra, save money, and spend sparingly, so their spiritual life is boring, onlyhanging around the boarding house".

Mr. Kha Van Tam - Chairman of Nghe An Provincial Labor Federation, officials of Dong Nam Economic Zone Trade Union, Dong Nam Economic Zone Management Board visited workers, grasped income, salary, and workers' wishes. Photo: PV

Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 28 labor disputes and collective work stoppages nationwide, with 4 in Nghe An alone. Most of the work stoppages were mainly due to low wages, salaries, income, poor quality of shift meals... Through the meetings to grasp the aspirations of the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union, the majority of workers in industrial parks want the State to adjust and increase the regional minimum wage.

ATTRACT WORKERS HAVE MANY DIFFICULTIES

According to statistics, the number of workers working in industrial parks only reaches 50-65%, due to the strong outbreak of the epidemic again, the number of F0 has increased, and workers are insecure about the epidemic. In addition, low income also makes many workers not want to go to work, many people look for work opportunities in other provinces or change to other jobs such as construction workers, construction workers, sales or working abroad...

According to Decree 90/2019/ND-CP, dated November 15, 2019: The regional minimum wage in 2020 up to now is: region 1 is 4,420,000 VND/month; region 2 is 3,920,000 VND/month; region 3 is 3,430,000 VND/month; region 4 is 3,070,000 VND/month. The regional minimum wage is the lowest wage used as a basis for businesses and employees to negotiate wages. In addition, the regional minimum wage is also the basis for paying many other benefits to employees, so when the regional minimum wage is low, the total income of employees will be low.

Low wages, unable to send children to daycare, many workers have to ask family members to stay with them to look after their children. Photo: PV

Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan - Deputy Head of the Department of Enterprise and Labor Management, Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone Management Board said, "Nghe An workers' salaries are in regions 3 and 4. Enterprises in the province usually pay salaries no lower than the regional minimum wage, some enterprises pay higher than the regional minimum wage, but in general, salaries are still low. Enterprises explained that they also faced many difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, production stagnation, and expensive epidemic prevention costs, so they could not increase salaries during this period."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan - Deputy Head of the Department of Enterprise and Labor Management, Southeast Economic Zone Management Board said: "In the Southeast Economic Zone of Nghe An, there is a great shortage of human resources, but recruitment is facing many difficulties, most of the workers from the South and the North who come to Nghe An are not "interested" in staying in their hometown. In the immediate future, it is necessary to attract about 10,000 workers to meet production for placed orders; in 2022, the number of workers to be attracted is more than 20,000 workers; from now to 2025, it is necessary to attract about 60,000 - 70,000 more workers. Attracting workers is a very difficult problem without minimum wage reform from the State and policies to improve workers' income from the enterprises themselves".

Mr. Vuong An Nguyen - Chairman of the Trade Union of the Southeast Economic Zone visited and gave gifts to workers facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Photo: PV

Mr. Vuong An Nguyen - Chairman of the Trade Union of the Southeast Economic Zone shared: “To improve workers' lives, first of all, it is necessary to reform the regional minimum wage policy. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Government has not regulated an increase in the regional minimum wage for the past 2 years, while goods have increased and are expected to increase sharply in the coming time. In addition, the price situation of essential goods for daily life such as rice, gas, meat, fish, eggs, milk... between regions is very small, but the minimum wage between 4 regions according to Decree 90/2019/ND-CP is very different (between region 1 and region 4, the difference is 1,350,000 VND), leading to workers in regions 3 and 4 having very low incomes, making life extremely difficult. Therefore, it is recommended that the Government, the National Wage Council and relevant ministries and branches soon issue a policy to increase the minimum wage for all regions and especially need to adjust the regional minimum wage. 3, 4 according to actual consumer prices to ensure workers' welfare, attract human resources to work in enterprises in Nghe An and prevent urgent and arising problems.labor disputes, strikesmay happen”./.