Positive news from Precision Vinh Garment Company
(Baonghean)After the Lunar New Year holiday, workers at Prex Vinh Garment Company returned to the factory to work. Their young faces shone with joy at the prospect of a new year filled with hard work and achievements...
Previously, Truong Thi Thu Thanh, from Hamlet 5, Dong Son, Do Luong, came from a very difficult family background. She worked making rice paper and growing vegetables, but her income was unstable and she had to work hard in the sun and rain. At the end of 2011, upon learning that Prex Vinh Garment Company was recruiting and creating jobs, Thanh applied to work as a garment worker. After four months of training, she joined the garment production line. Due to her diligence in improving her skills, after nearly two years of work, Thanh is now the team leader of garment line 13 at the factory. Meeting with us, Thanh confided: "To date, including basic salary and hazardous duty pay, I earn a stable income of over 3.5 million VND per month. Working in the factory is enjoyable, it's close to home, and I'm protected from the rain and wind, so I feel secure working here long-term."
Many workers living in remote areas such as Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky, and Anh Son... have expressed their attachment to the factory. Many workers rent accommodation together, ensuring they do not violate factory regulations. Le Thi Ngoc, from Dung Town, Thanh Chuong, happily said: "Working at Prex Vinh Factory, I feel secure because I am respected. The company guarantees a lunch allowance of 12,000 VND per meal, a monthly attendance bonus of 60,000 VND, a monthly transportation allowance of 50,000 VND, and a monthly allowance of 50,000 VND for children under one year old. The company pays for our health insurance, unemployment insurance, and social insurance in full." Thanks to the company's timely attention to the workers' well-being, the majority of workers at the factory remain enthusiastically committed, which has been a driving force for the company to achieve its production, business, and export goals in recent times.
Prex Vinh is a garment company specializing in high-end products, with 100% South Korean investment. It is also the largest investment company in Vietnam by the Korean Kido Group. The company officially commenced operations in August 2011 in the Lac Son - Do Luong industrial cluster. The factory covers an area of over 70,000 m2, including 2 sewing workshops and 48 production lines, with an estimated workforce of over 4,000 people. In 2012, the company exported over 200,000 leather and wool garments to various countries, worth approximately US$1 million. It is projected that after operating at full capacity with all 48 production lines, the company will strive to export 1.5 million products with a value equivalent to US$10 million.
Mr. Doan Van Thuy, Chairman of the Trade Union of Prex Vinh Garment Company, said: "To achieve the above achievements and results, right from the start of production, with the attention of the province and the People's Committee of Do Luong district, the company has paid great attention to the role of recruiting workers. The company has coordinated with the districts, especially the communes, to distribute leaflets and disseminate information to women's associations; through the broadcasting system, it has encouraged existing workers in the company to recruit and find young people aged 18-35. To date, the company has attracted over 2,000 workers, mainly from within the district, and from Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky... Workers receive a minimum basic salary of 1.65 million VND/person/month. Skilled workers may be paid above the basic salary depending on their ability and responsibility." For unskilled workers, a 3-4 month training program is provided, during which 90% of the basic training salary is paid as stipulated by law. Notably, the company has brought its workforce together under a single union. To date, over 1,650 workers have been covered by various insurance schemes, and over 1,800 are members of the company's union. Workers receive regular health check-ups and are sent to participate in training courses on occupational safety and fire prevention.
However, according to Mr. Thuy, although the factory's equipment and production lines are complete, the company has only managed to recruit over 2,000 out of the planned 4,000 workers. With this workforce, the factory only maintains 26 out of 48 production lines in operation. In particular, the entry-level skills are limited; many workers are accustomed to gardening and rice farming, making them passive in adopting new garment manufacturing technologies. Most workers, even those with skills, require retraining to meet the company's export garment manufacturing needs. Furthermore, due to the company's recent start-up, it has not yet implemented a product quota system, meaning there is no reward or penalty mechanism in place. These difficulties have led to a situation where many garment orders are under-fulfilling, only achieving 30-40 products out of the target of 100 products per production line.
Mr. Kim Chul Hee, Director of Prex Vinh Garment Company, also stated that the most important issue currently is the company's labor shortage. It is difficult to recruit workers for the factory because most young people of working age have gone to work elsewhere. Many workers are interested in working but face difficulties due to distance and other obstacles. Meanwhile, the company lacks a lunch canteen and a dormitory system for workers to rest. In the future, the company will continue to recruit workers through various mechanisms and further improve the professional skills of its workers to enhance the value of its export production and business. More than ever, the company hopes for the province's attention in connecting it with potential labor sources. This could involve channels such as the Continuing Education Center, partnerships, policies, and workshops for sharing experiences among businesses investing in Nghe An... to facilitate the recruitment and utilization of labor.
Luong Mai