5,000 workers return to work after mass strike

Workers at Viet Glory Company Limited in central Nghệ An Province are happy to return to work on Monday after six days on strike, thanks to an agreed increase in basic salary and seniority allowances. — VNA/VnExpress News Photo  

HÀ NỘI — Approximately 5,000 workers from a leather shoe manufacturing company in central Nghệ An Province returned to work on Monday, after six days on strike.

The workers of Viet Glory Company Limited started their strike on the first working day of the new Lunar year (February 7), claiming that their basic salary and seniority allowance was too low and their monthly income could not make ends meet. The strike ended after the company’s leaders pledged to provide benefits to workers.

Senior officials welcomed staff back to work on Monday, including vice-chairman of Nghệ An Province’s Labour Confederation, Nguyễn Chí Công, leaders of Diễn Châu District’s Labour Confederation, Phạm Đức Cường and Vũ Duy Từ, deputy director of Viet Glory Company, Chang Shih Yueh, and provincial and district trade union officials. 

Công said the confederation was delighted that all workers have returned to work, and he said he felt motivated because the trade union’s efforts to connect the company’s leaders and workers saw good results.

Many workers shared that they agreed with the financial changes.

Chang Shih Yueh, deputy director of Viet Glory Company, said he appreciated the timely support of the trade union and local authority.

On February 7, all workers of Viet Glory Company in Diễn Trường Commune, Diễn Châu District stopped working and requested the company’s leaders to change or add regulations on salaries and allowances.

After negotiating with employees under the participation of trade union on Saturday, the company agreed to increase the basic salary by six per cent for all employees starting in February, while raising the seniority allowance for those who have worked for one year and over.

With this decision, workers will have at least VNĐ220,000 (US$8.80) added to their basic salary each month.

Their fuel allowance would increase from VNĐ200,000 ($8) to VNĐ260,000 ($10.40). Male workers who have children will be given VNĐ50,000 ($2) per month.

This means the company will have to spend VNĐ1.5 billion ($66,025) more every month to pay its staff.

At the meeting, the board of directors asked all workers to return to work on Monday. The company would handle those who refused to resume work in accordance with the labour law.

Also on Monday, thousands of workers in Vienergy Company Limited in northern Ninh Bình Province ended their strike and went back to work.

A representative of the company’s trade union said the company has resumed operations on Monday morning.

He said the trade union has collected the demands and recommendations of workers, including a basic salary increase, no deduction of fuel allowance in case of sickness, accidents or other unexpected events, and a better maternity policy.

The company answered all questions raised by its employees and made necessary changes to basic salaries, as well as other allowances, which have been negotiated and agreed upon.

On February 11, the provincial Labour Confederation, the provincial Trade Union of Industrial Parks and the city’s People’s Committee worked with representatives of the company’s leaders, trade union and workers, after more than 5,000 workers went on strike.

The company committed to providing full pay to the workers for the two-day strike.

Vienergy Company Limited is a foreign-invested enterprise, specialising in sports shoe manufacturing, with a total of 5,300 employees. The company’s trade union was established in January 2018. — VnExpress News