Taking care of employees on Tet despite difficulties

Over the past days, provincial Labor Unions at all levels actively rechecked and mobilized enterprises to take care of Tet bonuses and salaries for employees. Up to now, more than 70% of enterprises in the province have announced their plans on Tet bonuses for employees. Some said that despite facing great difficulties, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they have still paid the 13th month salary for workers in order to retain them for the next year.

Efforts to offer Tet bonuses despite financial woes

It was 19 o'clock, but Phong Phu Wood Company in Uyen Hung ward’s quarter 2 in Tan Uyen town was still on. The company's employees were still working enthusiastically. Nguyen Thi Hoa, 47 years old, from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang said that "This year, due to the severe impact of the pandemic, the company encountered many difficulties, so all of our workers were worried and afraid that we would not receive the 13th month salary as the previous years. When hearing the company to announce Tet bonuses like the previous years, hundreds of workers herein were happy. Hence, we have money to go shopping for Tet, taking care of our children in hometown to study."

Le Phong Phu, Director of Phong Phu Wood Company (first left) visits employees on the days near Tet

The company's employees are even happier when Le Phong Phu, the company's director said that if the company’s production-business activities are on smooth in the first months of 2022, the company will continue supporting accommodation and travel expenses with the monthly level of VND800,000 per person and above. Mr. Phu said: "In the peak months of the pandemic, although not having new orders, the company still managed to operate under the "3 on-site" model. On average, we were in compensation for the monthly loss of more than 100 million, due to the pandemic. However, if we do not give Tet bonuses for workers because of difficulties, so will the workers still be attached to the company? Moreover, most of the company's employees are immigrants with difficult circumstances. If there are no Tet bonuses, they will face a lot of difficulties."

Over the past time, Phong Phu Wood Company also took good care of workers with difficult circumstances; mobilized workers to extract a small part of their income to support others facing hardships... This year's Tet, Mr. Phu and his group of business friends in Tan Uyen town also stood up to support "sentimental buses" and support money for nearly 400 workers in the province with extremely difficult circumstances to return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet.

Meanwhile, Phan Thi Phuong Linh, Personnel Manager of Earth Corporation Vietnam Company in the South Tan Uyen Industrial Park said: "The company has faced common difficulties caused by the pandemic, but the company’s directorate has always taken good care of employees. This year, the company will pay the 13th month salary for workers. Each worker is also given a box of beer, soft drink, a gift and VND1 million for travelling. The total Tet bonus for an excellent employee of the company is over VND30 million.

Over 70% of enterprises with Tet bonus plans

As of January 11, provincial Labor Unions at all levels said that more than 70% of enterprises have planned to offer Tet bonuses to employees. Le Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of Ben Cat town’s Labor Union said: "Next week, we will have a full report on the number of the local enterprises announcing Tet bonuses because there are some enterprises with the late announcement. Most enterprises in the town have planned Tet bonuses for workers. However, depending on the production activities of each enterprise, as well as the working time of employees, these enterprises have commensurate Tet bonus levels. Over the past time, the town’s Labor Union focused on rechecking the list of employees with difficult circumstances for timely Tet care. For loss-making enterprises, when there is information from employees about Tet bonuses, we will focus on mobilizing these enterprises to take good care of employees during this year's Tet holiday.

As surveyed, the number of employees staying in Binh Duong to celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival 2022 is about 500,000 people, including 23,950 with extremely difficult circumstances. Provincial Labor Union has proposed provincial People's Committee to donate gifts worth VND500,000 each to 23,950 people, with a total amount of more than VND11.9 billion in order to promptly share and encourage trade unionists and employees to overcome difficulties and feel secure for long attachment with enterprises. Trade unions at all levels will extract their fund of more than VND191billion to support 639,013 trade unionists and employees with the subsidy level of VND300,000 each; organize gift visits with the participation of provincial leaders, hold the “Tet reunion- Peaceful Spring” program, support bus tickets, activities in celebration of the spring, with a total amount of more than VND 231 billion.

Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairman of provincial Labor Union said that with the desire of sharing some of the workers' material worries and encouraging their spirit to welcome a warm spring in Binh Duong, provincial Labor Union has launched a program on "Warm Tet with workers whose relatives died, due to Covid". The subjects to receive support from the program are the families of trade unionists whose relatives died, due to Covid-19 who are currently living at lodging facilities with difficult circumstances and staying in Binh Duong to celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival 2022. Each family is supported VND5 million in cash or through decorating, cleaning lodging rooms, shopping, installing equipment, making decoration for Tet ...

Provincial Labor Union has also proposed partners to carry out a trade union welfare program with preferential policies on the prices of products and services for workers during Tet. The unit has also mobilized enterprises producing and trading in necessities, food, clothing, and services to organize discount booths for trade unionists and employees, and support products as gifts for disadvantaged workers.

A survey of the labor situation in enterprises with trade union locals shows that the number of employees staying in Binh Duong to celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival 2022 is about 500,000 people, including  23,950 with extremely difficult circumstances. Provincial Labor Union has proposed provincial People's Committee to support gifts worth VND 500,000 each for 23,950 people, with a total amount of more than VND11.9 billion in order to promptly share and encourage trade unionists and employees to overcome difficulties and feel secure for long attachment with enterprises in Binh Duong.

Reported by Quang Tam-Translated by Kim Tin