Enterprises support employees to overcome hard time

Binh Duong currently has about 240,000 out of 800,000 employees in enterprises with grassroots unions whose working hours and income are affected in businesses operating in the wood processing industry, followed by footwear and apparel. Facing common hard time, many businesses actively support workers while the provincial Trade Union and the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs are joining hands to find solutions.

Paid holidays

As noted by us, many enterprises with a large number of employees engaged in production activities in the troubled industry are still standing still. Despite the lack of orders, and being forced to cut working hours, businesses still pay wages to employees so that they can have income and stabilize their lives. Recently, Chi Hung Co. Ltd. in Tan Uyen town has agreed with employees to stop working for 8 days a month (November, December 2022 to January 2023), paying a salary of VND 180,000 a day of stop time on every Friday and Saturday. With this option, although there is a slight reduction in income, and they are facing common problems, most of the employees have agreed and shared with the business. Shyang Hung Cheng Co. Ltd. in Thuan An city reduced working hours in November 2022, an average of 6 days a month and paid a salary of VND 196,000 a day (some departments have more than 8 - 20 days off a month).

Employees at Mekong Furniture Co. Ltd. have a stable income from the enterprise

Nguyen Ha Phuong, a worker at Tan Nhat Wood Production and Trading Co. Ltd., said: "In August, there was a time when there was a shortage of orders, my business gave me up to 20 days off but still paid my basic salary. Fortunately, there was a production order back after that. Although we now have no overtime, the salary is still there. I think that in this hard time, employees must know how to share with the business because the Board of Directors has tried its best with the employees."

At Mekong Furniture Co. Ltd. in Thu Dau Mot city, the overtime allowances on Saturday and Sunday has decreased, but in return, the business takes care of employees about benefits such as giving rice and necessities on a monthly basis.

Nguyen Liem, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lam Viet Wood Company in Tan Uyen town, said that from the beginning of the year, when orders were abundant, the company committs to give Tet bonus of 2 months salary to encourage production workers. Now facing difficulties, the income of employees has decreased, the company has advanced half of the bonus to employees. In addition, enterprises regularly support food for workers.

According to many businesses in the wood industry in the area, in the first months of 2022, businesses spend a lot of money to recruit workers in a time of labor scarcity. In July, since the wood industry faced difficulties and orders decreased, businesses still tried to stay strong and do their best to support workers. Some business owners also pledge personal assets to maintain operations and production.

To find the solutions

In the current difficult period of orders, and besides businesses trying to find partners, reducing overtime and working hours; Even if some enterprises flexibly convert production functions, the trade unions in the province, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs have combined many solutions such as finding jobs for workers, taking care of material things. Dang Tan Dat, deputy director of the Department of Policy and Law of the provincial labor union, said that businesses are managing many ways to ensure income and retain workers. Some enterprises allow workers to take rotational leave, work 4 days a week, pay the rest of the days to stop working, but ensure that it is not lower than the regional minimum.

In addition, the provincial trade union directs its grassroots at all levels in the province to actively review struggling businesses and workers to provide material and essential support. The provincial trade union has also issued notices to all businesses that need jobs to help workers in need. Recently, the provincial trade union has a list of 20 businesses that need to recruit nearly 10,000 workers. Thereby, the unit widely informs trade unions and job placement centers in the province to help workers access and get jobs.

Meanwhile, on the side of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Pham Van Tuyen, Deputy Director of the Department, said: “The first is through the system of job introduction centers, when unemployment insurance beneficiaries come, the center will introduce and advise on jobs and resolve policies on unemployment insurance money support for employees. Next, the center for propaganda and vocational training for employees and funding for the vocational training comes from the unemployment insurance fund. In the coming days, the department will hold a conference to connect labor supply and demand, thereby, inviting representatives of businesses and industry associations as well as related departments and sectors. Besides, some more job placement centers outside the province are invited to attend the conference. The aim is to create better conditions for connecting labor supply and demand.”

Reported by Quang Tam – Translated by Vi Bao

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