Enterprises mobilize workers to stay at factories to work

When Covid-19 pandemic is tending to quickly spread into companies and industrial parks, many businesses have mobilized workers to stay at factories to work, avoiding returning home and bringing pathogens into factories. This not only ensures safety for Covid-19 prevention and control, but also ensures income for employees.

Creating playgrounds for workers at factories

Being in the vanguard of mobilizing workers to stay at factories to work in Binh Duong province is Southern Rubber Industry Joint Stock Company in Tan Uyen town. For more than a week, nearly 500 workers have stayed at the company to work, which has gradually come into order. Workers have also renovated vacant land at the company’s factory to make volleyball, table tennis and badminton courts to practice sports in order to improve their health.

Hundreds of workers of Southern Rubber Industry Joint Stock Company are arranged to live and work at the company for Covid-19 prevention and control

Hoang Vinh Phuc, Deputy Director of Southern Rubber Industry Joint Stock Company said that since Tan Uyen town has implemented the Prime Minister’s Directive 16 on Covid-19 prevention and control, the company's directorate had a meeting to discuss plans on mobilizing all employees to stay at the company’s factory to maintain production. After that, the company has purchased furniture, tents, arranged accommodation with all necessary conveniences for 480 people who agree to stay at the company. Whilst, the remaining 170 employees work at home or take leave with minimum wage.

All the male workers are in the tents while 24 female workers are arranged to live in the dormitory for experts. Each person is provided with a socket, a fan and a set of blanket, pillow. The company has also cooperated with the local health sector to organize Covid-19 testing for all workers to ensure that no pathogens are brought into the company. Supplies must pass through a sliding ladder at the gate and be disinfected before being brought to recipients.

In addition to free 3 main meals and 2 snacks, each employee is also supported 150,000 VND a day by the company. The company’s boarding area has very strict rules, requiring workers to follow them in order to ensure safety for Covid-19 prevention and control. The company has also purchased sports equipment for workers to play in the afternoon; bought hair cutting tools for those in need while its boarding area has also been equipped with wifi, helping workers easily communicate and update information...

Mobilizing workers to live and work on site

Currently, many enterprises in the province are mobilizing workers to stay at factories to work. Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of provincial Labor Union said that some enterprises in the province with less than 500 workers have planned to let workers live and work at factories. They have taken advantage of existing dormitories or used warehouses, a part of workshops and bought more tents… to provide workers with accommodations.

As of June 30 afternoon, Tran Duc Wood Company in Thuan An city’s Binh Chuan ward arranged accommodations for hundreds of workers to stay and work, avoiding returning home and spreading the pandemic into the factory. The company's directorate said that if the number of employees registering for staying at the factory for working exceeds 80% of total, those who do not register will be allowed to stay at home, limiting the spreading of the pandemic to those who stay at the factory to work. When staying at the company, workers will receive an additional allowance of VND 1 million /month/person. If staying at the company without working overtime, workers still get 3 free meals a day.

However, the company’s directorate has still encouraged workers to work overtime at least 2 hours/day to increase their income. If workers work overtime after 20 pm, the company will provide them with supper... The company has contacted Binh Duong Medic Hospital to take Covid-19 test samples for all employees before proceeding this stay, protecting the company from Covid-19 pandemic.  

According to Mrs. Loan, this way helps employees feel more secure, businesses keep production pace in the face of the situation that industrial parks and factories in the province are intertwined with residential areas, lodging facilities latent with the risk of pandemic spreading, which is very hard to control.

According to provincial Labor Union, it is a good way for enterprises to arrange workers to stay at factories for both production and Covid-19 prevention-control. However, when enterprises do this, they must ensure essential material facilities and conveniences for employees. They must also register with the local authorities on the number of workers staying, the expected time of the stay, and ensure workers ‘health.

Reported by Quang Tam-Translated by K.T