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The project to build the Trade Union Institution of Bac Vinh Industrial Park was approved for investment policy by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor on November 2, 2018.

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On May 12, 2017, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 655/QD-TTg approving the project "Investing in building trade union institutions in industrial parks and export processing zones". The goal of building trade union institutions is clearly stated in this decision as: "Investing in building houses, kindergartens, supermarkets and cultural and sports facilities in industrial parks and export processing zones to strengthen the leadership of the Party, the coordination of actions of authorities at all levels, and socio-political organizations to create conditions to improve the lives of workers in industrial parks and export processing zones and for trade unions to further enhance their position in the political relations between the Party, the government and trade unions. This is also a way to gather and develop union members in the new situation".

Based on a field survey in Nghe An province, on November 2, 2018, in Decision No. 1825/QD-TLĐ, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor approved the investment policy for the Project to build a Trade Union Institution in Bac Vinh Industrial Park with a total cost of 545 billion VND. The project location was also selected and determined by the Provincial People's Committee at Hamlet 5, Nghi Kim Commune (Vinh City). This is a very convenient location, only a few hundred meters from Dang Thai Mai Street, adjacent to Bac Vinh Industrial Park, with a total area of ​​50,000m².

Regarding the scale of the project, according to Decision No. 1825/QD-TLĐ of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, with a total cost of 545 billion VND, on this 50,000m² land area, 12 5-storey buildings will be built, with a total of 1,075 apartments to meet the housing needs of about 3,700 people. In addition, trade union facilities will be completed, including a multi-functional cultural house (capacity of 500 people), a kindergarten, a pharmacy, a supermarket system, services for the cultural life of workers; a system of flower gardens, trees, sports fields and technical infrastructure works...

Looking forward to

The time to complete the project to build the Trade Union Institution of Bac Vinh Industrial Park was determined by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in Decision No. 1825/QD-TLĐ from 2019 to 2021. However, in reality, in Hamlet 5, Nghi Kim Commune, in the last days of April 2020, on the land where the project was implemented, local people were still cultivating crops. It is understood that the land clearance and land acquisition work has not yet been carried out.

According to the Chairman of the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union, Mr. Vuong An Nguyen, the two industrial parks Bac Vinh and VSIP currently have 7,920 workers. In the coming time, when the registered investment projects come into operation, the number of workers is expected to increase to about 13,000 people.

Regarding the lives of workers, through a survey of 2,093 people, the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union determined that the average income is approximately 4.1 million VND/month; more than 55% have their own house, the rest live with acquaintances or rent a house.

However, the place of residence is almost far from the workplace, with up to 650 people commuting to work with a distance of 10 - 20km; and up to 80 - 90% of workers when asked expressed their desire to buy or rent social housing with facilities such as kindergartens, cultural and sports areas for workers...

Chairman of Nghe An Civil Servants' Union, Mr. Nguyen Cong Danh visited and talked with workers living in a boarding house in Nghi Kim commune. Photo: Nhat Lan

The Chairman of the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union said: “In the coming time, the number of businesses investing in VSIP and WHA Hemaraj Nghe An industrial parks will increase, so the workforce will increase rapidly. Many workers will have to rent houses and lack everything.

To help workers in industrial parks reduce difficulties, stabilize their housing and children's education so that they can feel secure in working long-term with businesses in industrial parks, the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union recommends speeding up the construction progress of social housing projects and facilities in Bac Vinh Industrial Park, VSIP and Nam Cam Industrial Park...".

The information of the Chairman of the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union, Mr. Vuong An Nguyen, is clearly shown in many rows of boarding houses built by the people of Nghi Kim commune along Dang Thai Mai street. Visiting workers of Bac Vinh Industrial Park, VSIP who are staying here, the good news is that during the recent period of preventing the Covid-19 epidemic, they did not have to stop working like some other localities. However, life in the boarding rooms is extremely difficult. Therefore, when listening to the Chairman of the Nghe An Civil Servants Trade Union, Mr. Nguyen Cong Danh talk about the social housing project for workers with accompanying facilities, for them, it was like a dream...

Will start construction in 2021

According to Mr. Truong Xuan Quy, Chief of the Provincial Labor Confederation Office, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is very interested in the lives of workers in Nghe An province. Therefore, Nghe An has been included in the group of the first 20 provinces in the country to build the Industrial Park Trade Union Institution. The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee are also very interested in this content, so when the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor came to work, they directed departments, branches and authorities at all levels to focus on implementation, and soon select a suitable location to implement the project.

However, the project implementation has been behind schedule. The reason is that the Ministries, branches and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor discovered that the policy for implementing the project "Investing in building trade union institutions in industrial parks and export processing zones" has some points that are not really in accordance with the provisions of the law. Therefore, they are studying to amend and report to the Government for permission to adjust.

At VSIP Industrial Park, many businesses are currently building infrastructure to start operations. Photo: Nhat Lan

Mr. Truong Xuan Quy said: “Currently, the General Confederation of Labor has issued a decision approving the preparation of investment and the project to prepare for investment in the Nghe An Provincial Trade Union Institution Project. The Trade Union Institution Project Management Board (under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor) is also urgently completing the design stage, adjusting some details in the design for the Department of Construction to appraise and submit to the Provincial People's Committee for approval of the 1/500 planning, as a basis for the Vinh City People's Committee to carry out site clearance work. According to the plan of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, we must strive to complete the site clearance and land recovery work by the end of this year so that in early 2021, the Bac Vinh Industrial Park Trade Union Institution Construction Project will be officially implemented...”.