Many Ho Chi Minh City-based companies have offered to pay up to four-times normal wages for workers who stay on during Tet, while most companies have already paid Tet bonuses to their employees, a SGGP survey found.
This Tet, Cao Hoang Khai, a worker at Mtex Vietnam Co., Ltd. at the Tan Thuan Industrial Park, decided not to return home in the southern province of Ben Tre for Tet so he can keep working for his company.
“The company has called on workers to continue work during Tet as it needs to maintain production to fill the orders it has received, so I have decided not to take Tet leave and will continue working,” Khai explained.
“Continuing working, I will not only help the company but also make more money,” he said.
Like Khai, some other workers have responded to the company’s request. “Last year, due to the global economic crisis, the company had fewer orders than this year. I think we should help the company to fulfill its orders,” said Nguyen Hoang Ngan.
Nguyen Van Lai, deputy head of the company’s Trade Union, said: “Our company calls on workers to work during Tet for business purposes. They will be paid 400 percent higher than normal wage and will be offered food at work. It is based on mutual agreement between the board of directors and workers.”
“The company has now 600 workers, but we have to recruit 100 more to meet our production needs,” he added.
At Nidec Tosok Co., Ltd. many workers said they would enjoy double pay for working on the lunar December 29 (February 12) and the lunar January 5 (February 18). From February 14-17, they will be given triple pay.
“With such offers, we will make a lot more of money. Moreover, the company has promised to offer fully-paid leaves after Tet for those who worked during Tet, Le Thi Thuy Nga said happily.
At Sanyo, workers during Tet will enjoy triple pay and a bonus of VND50,000 per working hour, said Phan Thi Ngoc Bich, a member of the Executive Committee of the company’s Trade Union.
Bonus, gifts paid to workers
As of February 7, most companies at industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs) have already paid Tet bonuses to their employees.
Many companies in Linh Trung IP divided the bonus into two parts: the first has been paid and the second will be given to workers on the last working day before Tet, said Nguyen Thai Thanh, deputy head of the Trade Union of the city-based IPs and EPZs.
In Tan Thuan IP, many companies, like K&K Co., have also paid early Tet bonuses to workers.
Most businesses in Cu Chi District have paid bonuses to workers, said Vo Van Tan, chairman of the district’s Labor Federation. Particularly, some companies, like Mtex, Showa, have also paid the February salary in advance to employees, he added.
Besides Tet bonuses, many companies have presented Tet gifts to their staff members, commonly from VND100,000-500,000. Fifteen companies in Tan Binh District offered gifts valued between VND500,000-1 million.
A few days ago, more than 4,600 workers were presented free coach tickets to return home for Tet. The move was a joint effort of the trade unions of many companies and the city’s Worker Assistance Fund.
Total spending on welfare to poor workers has so far amounted to VND47 billion (US2.54 million), 3.6 times higher than in 2009, according to a report from trade unions.
The great effort in giving bonuses and support to workers has helped foster the relationship between employers and employees, Nguyen Huy Can, chairman of the HCM City Labor Federation, said.
