Nghe An: Workers live frugally with a salary of 4 million VND/month

PV:Dear comrade, workers and laborers play a very important role in enterprises, however, the attention to this force has not been really satisfactory. Can you share this issue?

Comrade Nguyen Tu Phuong:In recent times, the Party and the State have had many policies and guidelines to build and develop the working class and laborers. Specifically, the Party Central Committee (10th tenure) issued Resolution No. 20/NQ-TW on Continuing to build the Vietnamese working class in the period of accelerating industrialization and modernization of the country, which was concretized by the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee in Resolution No. 18.

And in each enterprise, the core and important role of workers and laborers is also recognized, so there has been much attention paid to salary and bonus policies, creating conditions for workers and laborers to stick with and contribute more and more to the enterprise.

Examination and consultation on reproductive health for workers at Ha Tien Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (Dien Yen commune - Dien Chau). Photo archive

However, the vast majority of workers and laborers working in enterprises in our province still face many difficulties.

According to statistics from the Provincial Federation of Labor, at the end of 2017, the average salary of workers and laborers was only 4 million VND/month. With this salary, workers and laborers have to be very frugal and thrifty in their lives, because in addition to spending on food, gas, and rent, many workers and laborers also have to raise young children; not to mention having to save for illness and care for themselves when they retire.

Comrade Nguyen Tu Phuong - Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation

During our close contact with workers, we also witnessed that their meals were still very frugal. The cultural, sports, and spiritual life conditions of workers were still very poor; housing was cramped, most of them were renting rooms, the few who had the conditions to live near their homes commuted back and forth every day.

The conditions of schools and kindergartens serving the children of workers and laborers in industrial zones and concentrated labor areas have not received much attention and investment. In general, the working conditions and environment in many small and medium enterprises are still poor.

The situation of debt, late payment, and evasion of social insurance payment of many enterprises is putting workers and laborers at a disadvantage in ensuring maternity, sickness, work-related accident benefits or resolving retirement benefits for workers and laborers when they reach retirement age...

PV:Faced with the pressing issues that are arising, with the role of an organization protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers, what impacts have trade unions at all levels in the province made to resolve them, comrade?

Comrade Nguyen Tu Phuong:In recent times, the activities of the Provincial Federation of Labor and trade union organizations at all levels in the province have organized many practical contents and tasks for workers and laborers. The most important of which is to monitor and inspect the implementation of policies and regimes for employees in enterprises as well as ensure occupational safety and hygiene conditions, and implement social insurance payments for workers and laborers...

Through monitoring and inspection, the Labor Federation has prepared documents to file a lawsuit against 50 enterprises that owe social insurance payments to employees; during that process, one enterprise agreed to request the Provincial Labor Federation not to file a lawsuit and proceed with social insurance payments for employees.

The Provincial Federation of Labor also stepped up monitoring, inspection, propaganda and mobilization activities for enterprises to improve the quality of shift meals for workers and laborers, ensuring a minimum of VND 15,000/person/meal; associated with monitoring food hygiene and safety, contributing to limiting the number of food poisoning cases in collective kitchens in enterprises each year.

Sports festival of workers of Haivina Kim Lien Company Limited (Nam Dan). Photo: Archive

The Provincial Federation of Labor has also promoted many activities to directly care for workers and laborers through Workers' Month to mobilize social resources to care for workers and laborers in difficult circumstances, illness, or to reward workers with achievements in labor and production; and support the construction of union shelters for union members.

On the other hand, in the condition of not having a system of cultural and sports institutions and the income conditions of workers and laborers are not enough to improve their spiritual life; the Provincial Federation of Labor has also organized a number of workers and laborers' clubs to gather workers and laborers to propagate, provide legal advice, organize recreational, cultural and artistic activities, etc.

The Provincial Federation of Labor also coordinated with the Education and Training Trade Union and Nghe An Civil Servants' Trade Union to support books, televisions, and install wifi, creating conditions for workers and laborers to improve their spiritual life.

Implementing the union welfare program of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, in 2017, the Provincial Federation of Labor also carried out a number of activities such as signing agreements with a number of units providing telecommunications services, train stations, seafood processing services, etc., implementing a 10-30% discount on service prices for employees with union membership cards, etc.

And recently, the Provincial Federation of Labor has proposed and received support from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Provincial People's Committee, and in 2018 will start construction of the Trade Union facility area, including housing for workers, kindergartens, entertainment areas, commercial areas, etc., to serve the needs of a large number of workers and laborers at Nam Cam Industrial Park.

After completing this facility, the Provincial Federation of Labor will also sign contracts with businesses providing accompanying services to ensure the best service and the most reasonable prices for workers.

Meal time of workers at MLB Yen Thanh Company Limited. Photo courtesy

PV:As you discussed the role of the State, businesses and workers, laborers working together. So, can you explain this requirement more clearly?

Comrade Nguyen Tu Phuong:It must be frankly admitted that, in the face of the rapid development of enterprises, the need to attract investment and accelerate the current industrialization and modernization process, our province is prioritizing and creating conditions for enterprises to develop through land policies, supporting site clearance, supporting infrastructure construction, reducing taxes, etc. However, investing in and taking care of workers and laborers is still not really satisfactory.

To successfully achieve the goal of turning our province into an industrial province and ensuring strong business development, one of the issues that needs attention is to take care of building a strong working class.

In addition to macro policies, Party committees and authorities at all levels in the province need to continue to effectively implement Resolution No. 20/NQ-TW and Resolution No. 18 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee on Continuing to build the working class in the period of promoting industrialization and modernization of the country.

On the other hand, the province also needs to introduce regulations requiring enterprises to invest in building cultural and sports facilities or accompanying workers' housing for implementation; at the same time, strengthen State management through promoting inspection, supervision and strict handling of enterprises that do not comply with the establishment of trade unions, implement regimes and policies on wages, meal allowances, overtime, social insurance, ensure occupational safety and hygiene conditions as well as ensure cultural and sports facilities...

For a business to develop, it requires a good team of workers and to do so, it must take good care of the material and spiritual life of workers and laborers so that they can feel secure, confident, committed, wholeheartedly devoted, and work in production.

Workers always want to have a better income and a better material and spiritual life, but workers also need to understand that when a business develops, it will have enough conditions to pay high salaries and create many welfare regimes and good spiritual activities.

Therefore, employees must also be aware of their responsibility and commitment to the business to work with the employer to help the business develop further.

PV:Thanks comrade!