To invest in good kitchens serving laborers

Worker’s health is a property of an enterprise. Being aware of this issue, many enterprises in the province have taken care of worker’s health by meals that not only are nutritious but also ensure food safety.

Servings of employees in Acrylic Idea Factory East Company ensure food hygiene and full nutrients. 

Kitchens of workers

Canteen of Yokohama Tire Vietnam Company at lunchtime is always warm and cheery. The dining area is spacious, tall with many electric fans, air conditioners, and clean floor. Tables are arranged neatly and fixed. For a decent meal, the kitchen bought the freshest food with the right amount of nutrients. From the processing phase, chefs also pay attention to food hygiene and safety. Especially, the kitchen publicizes information about food sources, daily processing quantity, and standard meal.

Do Ngoc Minh, Trade Union Chairman of Yokohama Tire Vietnam Company, said: "Right from the beginning, the company has cared about organizing canteen as well as ensuring food safety for all workers. Accordingly, the company opened a kitchen for workers at the factory. The entire canteen area of ​​the company has a total area of ​​more than 600m2, including storage area, preliminary processing area, food separating, and dining area. In 2012, the company invested hundreds of millions VND in buying devices and utensils for one-way meal organizing process such as boilers, steamers, washing machines, and food sample cabinets. The value of each worker's serving is about VND20,000, excluding other expenses such as labor, gas, transportation cost... Every month, the company invites Food Safety and Hygiene Office to the company for direct kitchen inspection and evaluation.

Canteen of Idea Factory East Acrylic Company has 4 large TVs on walls to introduce dishes of the day. Employees always feel the cleanliness, a pleasant and warm atmosphere as entering the canteen. There is a separate kitchen area. Before distributing servings, kitchen staff must wash their hands with soap to ensure personal hygiene. Utensils such as bowls, spoons, chopsticks, cups are always washed and kept dry. Processed food is put into cabinets to prevent flies, dust, and insects. According to the sector’s assessment, this is a safe collective kitchen designed on the one-way principle: areas of fresh food collection, preservation, processing areas, cooked food distribution area. In addition, the kitchen has its own rules to ensure safety, cleanliness of each serving and each meal.

Encouraging businesses to improve meal’s quality

Previously, mid-shift meals of workers did not receive much attention from businesses. Each meal had low value, not enough nutrition to reproduce labor. Some companies entrust the cooking to other organizations without strict control of food hygiene and safety. To solve this problem, provincial Labor Confederation unceasingly intensified propagation and encouraged enterprises to take care of worker’s living conditions. To implement Resolution of Vietnam General Labor Confederation’s Executive Committee on the "quality of meals for workers”, provincial Labor Confederation instructed the grassroots trade unions in various types of enterprises to negotiate with business owners to ensure employee's meals be at leastVND15,000as a commitment in collective labor agreements. In particular, the higher-level trade unions may initiate lawsuit against the employer for the occurrence of food poisoning to their employees.

Nguyen Dinh Khanh, Vice Chairman of provincial Labor Confederation, said: "Recently, many grassroots trade unions have successfully advised Directors Board to set up collective kitchens at factories to ensure the good quality of meals for employees. Meals for employees must not only be nutritious but also ensure food safety. The implementation process is maintained regularly under the supervision of state agencies to ensure labor laws, food safety and hygiene. In the coming time, provincial Labor Confederation will cooperate with branches to speed up the inspection and sanction of organizations, enterprises violating regulations on food safety and hygiene; multiply good collective kitchens, commend enterprises for performing well food hygiene and safety, ensuring nutritious meals for employees.

Reported by Kim Ha – Translated by Ngoc Huynh