Low wages, high costs force tough family decisions

Factory workers in Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in the northern Bắc Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Wages have a major impact on marriage and childbirth decisions for people in the working age, with women workers among the most affected.

Clocking out at the end of the day, Nguyễn Thị Minh, a worker at the Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in Bắc Ninh Province rushes home to feed her child and prepare dinner.

Three months after giving birth, Minh decided to return to work and leave her child in the care of her parents, as the family would struggle to cover all expenses with only her husband’s salary.

“I work full-time to earn money for my child’s necessities. The costs of living are so high now, I would feel guilty if I didn’t try my all to give my child the best possible,” Minh told Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

With an average salary of just over VNĐ7 million (US$280) per month each, overtime wages included, Minh and her husband were able to accumulate modest savings before having their child.

However, their family’s expenses increased once the baby was born, as the couple had to cover the newborn’s necessities, as well as rent and bills, leaving them with little money in their savings.

Minh then asked her mother to come to live with them to help take care of the child and return to work three months earlier than her maternity leave allowed.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Thị Nhung, a worker in Bắc Ninh’s Tiên Du District, had to send her eight-year-old daughter to live with her parents back in their hometown to reduce costs.

Living in a rented room, Nhung and her husband tighten their belts to send home some VNĐ2-3 million ($80-120) each month.

Nhung is reluctant to have a second child despite support from both her and her husband’s parents, as the couple went through numerous layoffs and reduced working hours, leading to a decline in their incomes.

“If I had another child, I wouldn’t know how to cover their expenses. It would be a pity if I had to let my children live in difficulty,” said Nhung.

According to a survey conducted by the Institute for Workers and Trade Unions (under the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour – VGCL) in 2023, wages are a key factor in marriage and childbirth decisions, at 53.7 per cent and 72 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, 17.6 per cent of the workers surveyed do not live with their children aged 18 or under due to low wages.

Many of the women in the survey said they hoped to have some savings to have their children move back in with them, or to return to their hometown to be close to their children.

“I am at work all day. No mother wants to be away from their children, but due to our circumstances and to make ends meet, I have to leave them to my parents to go to work,” one worker said.

Having parents around would benefit the child as they grow up, but there was nothing else she could do.

Another worker said she had to send the elder of her two children back to their hometown due to high costs.

“I wish my two children could grow up together, but we are unable to do so because of our family’s financial situation,” she said.

More than 85 per cent of female migrant workers in industrial and export-processing zones are married, according to a survey conducted by the VGCL women workers’ committee on their living conditions and rights to care for their children.

Among those who responded to the survey, 19.1 per cent live in their own homes, while 53.7 per cent live in rented accommodation and only 0.3 per cent live in facilities arranged by their employers.

Trần Thu Phương, deputy head of the VGCL women workers’ committee said that a majority of female migrant workers have to live away from their children due to unfavourable circumstances.

“Around 64.7 per cent of the survey participants said they live in rundown complexes that lack privacy and living amenities.

“TV, refrigerators and washing machines are relative ‘luxuries’ for most female migrant workers. They often only have a place to sleep and a small, cramped kitchen area for cooking,” said Phương.

Around 80 per cent of residential areas where these workers live do not have a playground or common leisure area for the children’s welfare, she added.

From the survey findings, the VGCL has sent recommendations to ministries and localities to focus on alleviating challenges for businesses, especially in terms of supplies, orders, capital funding, tax policies and administrative procedures to ensure stable jobs and incomes for workers.

Additional measures proposed include inflation control and stabilising the price of essentials such as electricity, petrol, food and other basic amenities. — VNS