Firms try to encourage workers to return after Tet

Enterprises with better social welfare policies have attracted more workers to return
to work after Tet 

In early days of the Lunar New Year, only enterprises at industrial park and export processing zones that have good social welfare policies have been able to encourage their workers to return after their holiday leave.

HCM City: Serious worker shortage

Several enterprises are applying various methods to attract workers after Tet, including providing lucky money and providing a half month advance on February’s salary.

According to an anonymous leader of a sport shoe firm in HCM City’s Tan Thuan Industrial Park, to date several of the company’s factories have yet to resume operations as workers from central and northern provinces have yet to return to work.

HCM City Industrial Park-Export Processing Zone’s Job Placement Centre is offering to recruit over 5,000 workers for the garment and textile, electronic assembly and engineering sectors.

Nguyen Thanh Tung, the centre’s director, said despite recruitment demands being as high as previous years, the number of people applying for jobs remains modest, resulting in significant labour shortages.

An anonymous official of the HCM City Industrial Park-Export Processing Zone Authority (HEPZA) said over 60 per cent of workers at industrial parks and export processing zones were not from the locality and had failed to book transport to return to work. Many enterprises resumed their operations after Tet with only half of their workforce.

Enterprises that have better social welfare policies, including those subsidising transport costs recorded the highest number of workers returning to work.

Hanoi: Over 90 per cent of workers return to work

Almost all enterprises at eight industrial parks in Hanoi resumed operations on January 30 with nearly 120,000 workers.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, a worker at a foreign-invested company at the Thang Long Industrial Park, said “This year, several companies at the park have implemented better social welfare policies for workers, which has encouraged them to return to work on time after the Tet holiday.”

Workers at major companies such as Canon have given lucky money to workers who return to work after their holiday as a move to encourage their workforce.

Dinh Quoc Toan, chairman of Hanoi Industrial Park-Export Processing Zone’s Trade Union, said most of enterprises would attract over 90 per cent of their workers to return to work, some had even encouraged 98 per cent of their workers to return after their holiday leave thanks to their improved social welfare policies.

Dong Nai, Vung Tau lacking garment and textile, leather shoes workers

Huynh Tan Kiet, chairman of Dong Nai’s provincial Labour Union, said between 80 per cent and 85 per cent of workers in the province have returned to work after Tet holiday.

In Ba Ria-Vung Tau, several enterprises operating in leather shoes production, garment, paper and seafood processing have resumed operations even though many workers have yet to come return following their holiday leave.

Binh Duong: Workers picked up

Chairman of Binh Duong Province industrial park trade union Bui Thanh Nhan said as of January 30, 75 per cent of workers had returned to work after the Tet holiday. On January 31, 60 per cent of enterprises at local industrial parks had reusmed their operations.

Hoa Sen Group at Song Than 2 industrial park churned out the first pack of products since Lunar January 5 to meet an order.

Nguyen Hong Anh, Human Resource Manager at the 3/2 Garment and Textile Company said the firm has organised cars to pick up over 1,500 workers after Lunar January 6 to ensure operations resumed on schedule. Until now, nearly 80 per cent of workers had returned to work.