Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Ninety–one strikes occurred in Vietnam in the first fivemonths of this year, mostly due to stagnant production – a major negativeimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on enterprises and workers.

Only 66 strikes were reported in the same period last year and, in the wholeyear, there were a total of 121 strikes, half of those reported in 2018.

Standing Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour TranThanh Hai said at a recent meeting that the COVID-19 pandemic caused productionto stagnate and thus enterprises were shut down, suspended or downsized. As aresult, workers who stopped working asked for their rights and benefits tobe ensured.

When workers did not agree with their employers’ salary payment mechanisms, forexample, year-end bonuses, delayed salary payments, or poor quality of mealsprovided at the enterprises’ canteens, they also went on strike, Hai said.

“As soon as the strikes happened, trade unions in the companies cooperated withauthorities to settle the strikes and satisfy workers’ legitimate requests andthey resumed work,” he said.

However, Hai said that in the strike of 8,000 workers at Taiwanese-invested ChiHung Ltd Company in the northern province of Hai Duong late last month, falsereports appeared on social media, criticising the role of the trade union. 

According to reports by local trade unions, by the end of April, as many as5,681 enterprises and 1,310 non-public units nationwide were dissolved,suspended or reduced their production size, which affected jobs and livelihoodsof over 461,000 workers.

Hai said there were cases in which employers used measures forcing employees toterminate their contracts while the enterprises could still manage to maintainproduction.

Enterprises specialising in producing goods for export, like textile orfootwear companies, had to lay off some of their workers as major clientsin pandemic-hit markets reduced or cancelled their orders.
Duringthe COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour has workedtogether with the Government, agencies and the community in disease preventionand control as well as supporting COVID-19 affected workers.

Nearly 500 billion VND (216,500 USD) was given to workers who were sufferingdifficulties during the pandemic. The trade unions in localities joined withother individuals and organisations to launch meaningful programmeslike rice ATMs and zero-dong supermarkets which offer free essentialgoods to workers. The trade unions also called on landlords to reducerental rates for workers.

Chairwoman of HCM City’s Trade Union Tran Thi Dieu Thuy said that forecastingon the production, trade and employment of COVID-19-hit enterprises was needed,so proper measures would be taken to protect trade union members as well asensure the livelihoods of workers./.