Vietnam wants foreign firms to consider workers
Officials in Vietnam's commercial capital Ho Chi Minh City called on foreign investors yesterday to comply with investment and labour laws, and to provide proper conditions to avoid worker unrest.
Vietnam's cheap and hard-working labour force is considered a competitive advantage but many labour-intensive industries have angered staff. Labour unrest was caused by two factors - education and contracts, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee vice chairman Nguyen Trung Tin said. Speaking at an economic conference co-organised by Asia News Network, a grouping of 16 Asian newspapers, Tin told more than 200 participants that workers and trade unions were not fully educated about legal rights and obligations. But, a bigger problem leading to industrial disputes was companies not fulfilling their legal responsibilities, he said. The first quarter saw industry in the southern part of the country plagued by strikes - mostly over wages and conditions. More than 40 industrial disputes were recorded during the period and most occurred at companies with Japanese and South Korean owners, the Labour Ministry said. Strikes at companies with foreign ownership had come as they sought to up the working week from 40 hours to 70 hours yet maintain wages at about US$80 (Bt2,790) a month. Low-paid workers were angry they receive little relaxation time for cultural activities, Tin said. "Such poor conditions create stress for workers," he said adding "we urge investors to fully obey the law."
The Nation HO CHI MINH CITY
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