Enterprises proactive in improving quality of employees' meals

After the peak period of the Covid-19 pandemic, many enterprises in Binh Duong province have enhanced the health of their employees by improving their meals’quality, combining rest and free drinks. Some enterprises have even built standard kitchens to cook for themselves, providing fresher and tastier meals for their employees. Provincial trade unions at all levels have supervised and propagandized to improve the quality of meals for employees.

Enterprises with proactiveness

At Thien Nam Investment and Development Joint Stock Company in Di An city), every meal, company leaders, trade union president, managers eat together with employees. Tran Ngoc Vinh, President of the company's Trade Union, said: "We do this for a simple reason that the quality of employees' meals is too good, ensuring nutrition and freshness. In addition to meals changed in accordance with daily menus with enough fish, meat, vegetables, eggs ..., the company’s employees are allowed to register their favorite dishes worth over VND 30,000 each meal…”.

Every day, Thien Nam Investment and Development Joint Stock Company’s trade union local conducts monitoring over the quality of food before employees enjoy meals

Mr. Vinh added that in the past, the company ordered meals from kitchens outside, but found that their quality was not as guaranteed as expected by its directorate. After that, the company’s Trade Union actively contacted trade unions at all levels to visit some high-class kitchens at industrial catering units. And then, the company boldly built a standard kitchen together with a cold storage for standard food. However, the company still prioritizes fresh food in processing. The types of food put into processing during the day must save samples. They will be analyzed if necessary. Around 10 a.m. every day, when the food is ready, the company's Trade Union will make a final inspection before employees sit at dinning tables... To pay more attention to employees' health, the company has recently created a variety of relaxation areas such as coffee shops in the workshops. At break time, workers come here to drink free water, listen to music, and have fun to regenerate their labor.

Similarly, Mekong Furniture Co., Ltd. in Thu Dau Mot city has actively raised the quality of meals from VND17,000 to VND 23,000 per meal. Tran Si Hiep, President of the company's Trade Union, said: "The Trade Union always listens to suggestions by employees and promptly transfers good ideas to the directorate. Improving the quality of meals has always received the attention of employees. After many adjustments, the company has found a unit that provides standard, delicious and affordable food. Recently, after every meal, the company’s employees are given free milk, cake and other drinks. Every month, they are also given a box of noodles or vermicelli and 8kg of rice per person.

These are only two among many enterprises in the province that have positive ways to improve the quality of meals for employees. Currently, in the province, there are many enterprises doing the same thing and receiving high consensus of employees.

Supervision  from trade union

Along with enterprises, provincial Trade Unions at all levels have attached special importance to improving the quality of meals for employees. Leader of provincial Labor Labor said that the unit has just issued a plan to continue implementing the Resolution No. 07C/NQ-BCH of the 7th meeting of the Executive Committee of the 11^th Vietnam General Confederation of Labor on the quality of employees’ shift meals. In particular, the unit has requested trade unions at all levels to promote dialogues, negotiations and signing of collective labor agreements on shift meals with the lowest value from VND20,000 per meal (for self-cooking enterprises) and VND 25,000 per meal (for enterprises hiring outside cooking units) or above.

Doan Nam Le Thien, Vice-Chairman of Di An city’s Labor Union said that monitoring the quality of employees' meals is almost done regularly by the unit. In 2021, through supervision, there were some enterprises with the average level of VND15,000 per meal which was the lowest level under the regulations. However, these were self-cooking enterprises, so the quality of meals was also quite good. And enterprises ordering industrial meals usually reached VND20,000 per meal. “…In general, improving the quality of meals for employees in the city is guaranteed and workers' health is taken care of every day," said Mr. Thien.

Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of provincial Labor Union said that in order to improve the quality of meals for employees, provincial Labor Union has directed trade unions at all levels to promote propaganda, raising employers’ responsibility; built and shared the model of “enterprises that well implement shift meals for employees”; commended outstanding individuals, collectives and enterprises in this work. Provincial Trade Unions at all levels also need to promote dialogues, negotiations and signing of collective labor agreements with the content of shift meals with the lowest value from VND20,000 for self-cooking enterprises and VND25,000 for enterprises hiring units cooking outside; continue strengthening coordination with departments and agencies in inspection, examination and supervision of the observance of the law on food safety-hygiene and organization of shift meals under the regulations.

Reported by Quang Tam-Translated by Kim Tin

• Food safety in collective canteens of enterprises (24/04)
• Humanitarian Month with significant activities (24/04)
• Solutions to remove obstacles to encourage socialization needed (24/04)
• New Do Bridge inaugurated to cross Thi Tinh River in Ben Cat town (23/04)
• Proposal to recognizing Phu An commune as meeting cultural model new rural standards in 2023 (23/04)
• Ben Cat and efforts to develop comprehensive education (23/04)
• Vietnam acts to combat white pollution (22/04)
• Work plan promotes national digital transformation for socio-economic development (22/04)