More than 90 percent of workers have returned to work after the Lunar New Year Tet holiday in Vietnam’s two largest economic hubs of Hanoi and HCM City.
According to the Hanoi Federation of Labour, some 90.24 percent of factories in Hanoi had resumed operations, and 96.13 percent of workers had returned to work on the first working day following the holiday on February 7.
The federation set up groups to inspect working conditions and discipline in the capital city following Tet.
Related: Vietnam expected to increase labour demand in 2022
Van Thi Thuy, a worker at Thang Long Industrial Zone said that she returned to work on the morning of February 7.
“I travelled to work by the company shuttle bus,” Thuy said. “Due to Covid-19 preventive rules, the company did not organise welcoming ceremonies or parties like previous years and we went straight to work.”
Thuy said that she was happy with the current monthly salary of VND 10 million (USD435).
“I hope that the Covid-19 pandemic won’t affect our work this year,” she said.
In HCM City, many firms also saw over 90 percent of workers returning after the Tet holiday.
Chairman of the Workers Union at Vietnam Samho Company, Nguyen Thanh An said that they have over 7,000 workers and over 92 percent of them had returned to work on the first day they resumed operation after Tet.
At PouYuen Vietnam Company in Binh Tan District, more than 27,000 workers came to work on February 7. Chairman of the company’s Workers Union, Cu Phat Nghiep, said that half of the remaining workers would return to work on February 9.
Also read: Vietnam has emerged as as safe destination for global investors
Every year after the Tet holiday, many businesses face a serious shortage of workers. Last year, due to the impact of social distancing orders, enterprises struggled with labour shortages. Therefore, the need to prepare the workforce for the post-Tet period was even more urgent.
To prepare after the week-long holiday, representatives of some businesses in HCM City said that they had focused on attracting and recruiting workers a month in advance.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Van, chairwoman of the Union of Long Rich Co. said that the company had lost about 500 workers during the pandemic, so it was necessary to retain current employees to return to work after Tet.
“Every year, there is a small number of workers who go home for Tet holiday and do not return to work, and the company can still manage to recruit new workers. But this year the situation is very unpredictable,” Van said. “Many workers who returned to their hometown due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak have not returned yet.”
Nguyen Van Lam, vice president of the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that after the holiday, the city was expected to need about 45,000 skilled workers, especially in trading, leather and footwear, and engineering.
By Vietnam News Agency
Related
Source: Vietnam Insider