Common concerns of labourers when Tet approaches

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Ms Hang, a worker at high-grade garment maker Scavi, received a bonus equal to 2.5 month’s wages this year.

“Bonus levels were higher than last year thanks to the company’s good performance, but if rising prices and inflation are taken into account, it was the same,” Hang said.

According to Hai, a man working for Saigon TanTec Leather in southern province of Binh Duong, this year the company gave workers a similar Tet bonus as last year, one month’s pay.

However, what concerns Hai is job security.

“After Tet, our company often has fewer orders compared to the period before Tet, therefore workers’ pay goes down markedly. At peak times, my monthly pay can hit VND7-8 million ($330-$380) per month, but with fewer orders, my income can be halved, and this can last for months after Tet,” Hai said.

According to Phan Le Diem Trang, director of International Garment Company also based in Binh Duong, the company’s labourers received a Tet bonus tantamount to one month’s pay.

The workers were also advanced part of their pay in February to cover Tet expenses.

As a deputy chairwoman of the Binh Duong Textile Garment Association, Trang said Tet bonuses at most garment companies in the province had been fairly stable this year, at least VND2.5 million ($120). Many workers also got Tet gifts or were able to travel back to their families at the company’s expense.

Scavi Group’s financial director Nguyen Chi Thanh said retaining stable labourers had been one of biggest concerns of firms after Tet holidays.

In fact, the rate of labourer turnover at Scavi was low in recent years thanks to its stable work and fair remuneration policies.

However, this year the group mulls enlarging investment to tap North American potential market, therefore stable manpower was set as one of its top priorities.