Conflict raises in Taiwanese shoe manufacturing factory in Haiphong

>> 1,000 workers back to work at Bluecom Vina

The conflict is running high today when these workers threw rotten eggs and smelly shrimp paste to those who kept going to work.

According to the workers, they have a heavy workload. Notably, they have to work continuously for 12 hours per day from 7am to 7pm but still fail to meet the production target required by the company’s management board. Besides, they could not receive the unemployment allowance when the firm temporarily laid them off in case it does not have enough orders to remain the operation.

Workers proposed that the company cut working hours and pay the unemployment allowance but the company’s management board ignored them.

The local authorities had to mobilise policemen to prevent the workers from throwing rotten eggs and smelly shrimp paste but failed.

A representative of the company said that on April 15, the company invited two workers to represent the on-strike employees to work with the Haiphong’s Labour Federation to resolve the conflict, but no one agreed to be the representative.

Pham Huu Thu, chairman of the Haiphong Labour Federation said that the federation would send representatives to attend the working sessions with the company’s representative as well as workers to clarify the reasons and protect workers’ rights.

In an interview with newswire Dantri, Le Thuong Huyen, a lawyer said that according to Article 233 of the Labour Code, strikers causing public disorder may be imposed a fine of between VND1 million ($44.8) and VND2 million ($89.6), and they will even be prosecuted if causing serious damages.

Starting operation in 2005, wholly Taiwan-owned KaiYang Vietnam specialises in manufacturing shoes with a total workforce of over 2,000.