Although city leaders have adopted measures to stabilize prices, increase of essential commodities like rice, poultry, meat, vegetables, milk, construction materials, medicines and travel services has badly influenced on meager-income residents’ lives including blue-collar workers.
Workers from Industrial Park Tan Tao in district Binh Tan thronged into the nearby flea-market in the Highway 1A. A lot of foodstuffs were available for choices, but only two kinds of foods were consumed most are swamp morning-glory and eggs as they are cheaper than meat and other foods.
Dang Hong Nhung, a worker of Pouyuen Vietnam Company, said she and her colleagues have eaten eggs and the vegetable in one week but they couldn’t afford other foodstuff.
Many female workers complained all foodstuffs have increased but their salaries have not changed; they thus choose cheapest vegetable and foods for meals.
Bui Thi Nuong from the central province of Quang Ngai to Ho Chi Minh City to work for a company in Industrial Park tan Thuan in district 7 said she can’t save for healthcare treatment with the total month salary of the couple of VND3.2 million ( US$160) meanwhile she can save VND400,000 for medical treatment.
In the meantime, the couple Nguyen Quang Hai boarding in a small house in a long alley in district Binh Tan must have instant noodle as an alternative for rice which have soared by VND2,000. They have to save to raise two kids in a countryside area with their grandparents.
Many workers fall into such condition. They must leave their children to make some extra cash to send back to relatives who bring up these kids. To cut back expenditure, they have to live in small accommodations in bad conditions.
Tran Thi Hong Van, chairwoman Nissei’s labor union, said the union has petitioned the company to give support for married female workers’ housing, especially those have children but there has no reply from the company. Concerning to the project for construction of pre-schools for kids of laborers, Ms. Van said the company faces financial difficulties so it failed.
To help workers overcome the “storm of prices” period, enterprises in industrial parks give support to workers including increasing bonus, allowance, improving meal quality and salaries for shifts. For instance, Pouyuen companies in Industrial Park in district Binh Tan gives workers VND250,000 a month, Nessei in the export processing zone Linh Trung 1 in district Thu Duc VND200,000. Thanks to the immediate care, employers both keep workers continue working for the companies and reduce strikes.
